In 2023, the Department of Veterans Affairs faced fierce criticism from clinicians, lawmakers and patients over its rollout of the Oracle Health EHR system. Despite the blowback, the agency is continuing to move forward with the system.
Here are the five biggest stories about the VA's Oracle install that Becker's has reported on in 2023:
1. In September, the VA announced it would resume work on the $16 billion system in the summer of 2024.
2. In June, Oracle laid off workers at its EHR unit in a move that was reportedly tied to the VA installation process.
3. In November, VA CIO Kurt DelBene said that the agency still has "significant concerns" about the installation process.
4. In March, President Joe Biden set aside $1.9 billion for the Oracle Health rollout in his fiscal 2024 budget.
5. In March, the VA confirmed that the botched rollout had led to at least four patient deaths.