Cerner has agreed to pay $1.8 million in back pay and interest over claims it discriminated against Black and Asian applicants, according to an Aug. 9 U.S. Labor Department news release.
The EHR vendor will pay the amount to 1,870 applicants who sought work as medical billing account and patient account specialists, system engineers, software interns and technical solutions analysts at Cerner facilities in Kansas and Missouri between 2015 and 2019.
"Working together, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Cerner Corp. will ensure that the issues identified in this compliance evaluation are resolved and that Cerner puts into place procedures to ensure compliance with equal employment opportunity laws," stated Carmen Navarro, regional director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in Chicago.
Cerner did not admit liability and denies the allegations, the release said.