The Department of Veteran Affairs' transition to a Cerner EHR may move more quickly than previously anticipated, FCW reports.
The VA partnered with Cerner in May 2018 to develop and deploy an EHR across its care network. While the department said in March that it would use the full 10 years of its $16 billion contract with the EHR vendor, VA Deputy Secretary Jim Byrne told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee May 16 that the project could potentially move faster.
"When we roll out the [initial operating capability], we're going to get a much clearer picture of our ability to accelerate this rollout across the country," Mr. Byrne told lawmakers at his May 16 confirmation hearing, FCW reports. "Ten years is an incredibly long time."
Mr. Byrne is the senior official in charge of the Cerner project and was nominated in April to permanently fill the position of VA's deputy secretary, according to Military.com.