John Windom, project leader for the Department of Veterans Affairs' Cerner EHR implementation, said he plans to hire additional help for the effort, according to the Politico Morning eHealth newsletter.
"I need help. In no way have we completed our team," Mr. Windom said at an interoperability forum hosted by Mitre Corp. Nov. 27, according to Politico. Mitre Corp. is a nonprofit that manages federally funded research and development centers.
"I want to move ahead more efficiently and effectively, but that requires more expertise," he added. "If you think you add value to what we're trying to accomplish, let me know."
Mr. Windom specified he plans to hire 135 more people to the VA's Office of EHR Modernization during the next six months, which would bring the office's staff to 265.
In May, the VA finalized a $10 billion contract to implement a Cerner EHR systemwide during a 10-year period, beginning at test sites in 2020. An estimated 500 VA clinicians and other EHR users will attend eight sessions at Cerner's headquarters through May 2019 to go over the design of the EHR, Mr. Windom said.