Three Republican Senators expressed concern about the Department of Veteran Affair's upcoming transition to a Cerner EHR system in a June 26 letter to VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD, and Secretary of Defense James Mattis.
Sens. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and John McCain, R-Ariz., said the VA cannot afford any mistakes on project, noting its "immense implications for the future of the VA and the proper care of our millions of veterans." They urged the VA to seek advice from Department of Defense experts who have undergone a similar EHR transition.
"Recently, major federal IT infrastructure upgrades and overhauls have not had overwhelming success," the letter reads. "We remain optimistic about the VA's EHR transition; however, we hold great concern that the scope of this project brings several risks related to excess costs and implementation delays."
The Senators requested Dr. Shulkin and Mr. Mattis address a number of questions, including key challenges the DOD faced upgrading its IT, any legislative and policy hurdles they foresee and the VA's proposed project timeline — a process Dr. Shulkin previously said could take up to six months to develop.
"Capitalizing on joint ventures between DOD and VA reduces redundancies, realizes economies of scale and combines shared resources for more comprehensive solutions. We encourage both of you to explore additional areas within your departments for opportunities to collaborate," the Senators wrote.
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