The Department of Veterans Affairs established the Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization, which will be responsible for oversight of the VA's $10 billion, 10-year EHR overhaul, the agency announced July 12.
The OEHRM launched in late June. It will manage the preparation, deployment and maintenance of the VA's new Cerner health records system. Genevieve Morris, the principal deputy national coordinator for HHS, will lead the effort.
"OEHRM, the Veterans Health Administration and the Office of Information and Technology will continue to collaborate closely to ensure this important transition is as smooth as possible for our Veterans, clinicians and staff," Ms. Morris said. "We are working hard to configure and design a system focused on quality, safety and patient outcomes, which will allow health IT innovations within one VA facility to be used across the entire VA healthcare system."
Ms. Morris has been detailed from ONC to serve at the VA. She and the new office will work closely with VA's undersecretary of health — a currently vacant position — and CIO another empty post temporarily filled by Office of Information and Technology Executive-in-Charge Camilo Sandoval.