Bruce Moskowitz, MD, an internist in West Palm Beach, Fla., and member of President Donald Trump's social circle at Mar-a-Lago, has reportedly played a significant role in halting the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' $16 billion project to modernize its legacy EHR, four current and former senior VA officials familiar with the matter told Politico.
Former VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD, announced the VA's intent to transition its legacy EHR, VistA, to Cerner last year. The deal has been met with concern from physicians and health IT experts regarding the project's interoperability challenges and leadership changes. However, Dr. Moskowitz's involvement has greatly infuriated many clinicians involved in the effort, including Dr. Shulkin prior to his departure, a former senior VA official told the publication.
Sources told Politico Dr. Moskowitz objected to the $16 billion Cerner deal because he does not like the Cerner EHR software implemented at the two Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare hospitals he maintains privileges at in Florida. He has reportedly been on two or three monthly calls with the contracting team responsible for implementing the 10-year project since last November, two senior VA officials told the publication.
Dr. Moskowitz's concerns effectively delayed the Cerner-VA deal for months, sources said, indicating the level of influence members of President Trump's inner circle potentially have over government decisions, Politico reports. However, that influence swings both ways, as President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner was reportedly instrumental in Dr. Shulkin's June 2017 decision to select Cerner for the project, according to the report.
A team of investigators from the VA's Office of Information and Technology began investigating the Cerner EHR system implemented at Dr. Moskowitz's hospitals following his complaints and found the technology to be out of date, two sources told the publication.
Despite the delays, a VA spokesperson said April 25 that finalizing the Cerner-VA contract was a priority for Acting Secretary Robert Wilkie. The spokesperson did not comment on Dr. Moskowitz's specific role in the project. Instead, he noted, "Proper due diligence is required to ensure the best interests of veterans and taxpayers are served before the department enters into any agreement of this size and importance. We are doing that now, and expect to make a final decision and corresponding announcement … in the coming weeks," Politico reports.
Several health IT experts who spoke with Politico said they believe the Cerner deal will go through, however, because it would not be realistic for the department to renegotiate the contract or to keep the VA's current legacy EHR.
Dr. Shulkin and Cerner declined to comment to Politico, and Dr. Moskowitz and the White House did not respond to the publication's requests for comment.
To access the Politico report, click here.