President-elect Donald Trump has named Doug Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Politico reported Nov. 14.
Mr. Collins, a former attorney for Mr. Trump and a GOP House member, will oversee the VA's ongoing electronic health record modernization project as part of his new role. This initiative aims to replace the VA's current EHR system with one developed by Oracle Health.
The VA initially signed a $16 billion contract with Cerner — now Oracle Health — in 2017 to modernize its EHR system. The rollout began in 2020 but has faced significant challenges, including cost overruns and its association with at least four veterans' deaths. The VA paused the project in April 2023.
The troubled EHR modernization effort is expected to be a key topic during Mr. Collins' Senate confirmation process, according to Politico.