EHR restart was 'phenomenal' despite persistent challenges at initial sites, VA secretary says

VA Secretary Doug Collins told lawmakers that the resumed rollout of the new electronic health record system occurred “flawlessly.” The department still needs to address problems at medical facilities where the software was first deployed before expanding deployments. VA signed a $10 billion contract with Cerner in 2018, later revised to more than $16 billion, and the project’s total cost is now projected at about $37 billion. VA paused deployments in April 2023 due to safety and usability concerns, then conducted a joint rollout with the Pentagon in March 2024 in North Chicago. VA planned restarts for four Michigan sites in mid-2026, added nine more facilities to the 2026 schedule, and expects 13 sites in 2026 with roughly double deployments in 2027.

"The head of the Department of Veterans Affairs told lawmakers this week that last month's resumed rollout of its new electronic health record system occurred "flawlessly," but said efforts are still needed to address problems at the medical facilities where VA first deployed the software prior to instituting an operational freeze."

"Since VA signed a $10 billion contract with Cerner in May 2018 to modernize its EHR system - the department's fourth attempt since 2001 to replace its legacy software - the effort has been slowed by cost overruns, patient safety concerns and technology issues. Cerner was acquired by Oracle in 2022 and rebranded as Oracle Health."

"VA paused most deployments of the new EHR system in April 2023 to address the software's safety and usability challenges. The department subsequently conducted a joint rollout of the Oracle Health EHR system with the Pentagon in March 2024 at a healthcare site in North Chicago."

"At the end of the Biden administration in December 2024, VA announced plans to restart rollouts at four Michigan-based medical sites in mid-2026. Collins has moved to scale up the number of go-lives since being sworn in last January, including adding an additional nine medical facilities to VA's 2026 deployment schedule. The department says it will implement the EHR software at a total of 13 sites in 2026, with plans to roughly double the number of deployments in 2027."

Read at Nextgov.com