The Department of Veterans Affairs' contract with Epic may still hold, despite the department's recent decision to implement a competitor for its systemwide EHR, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Here are four things to know.
1. The VA will implement Cerner as its systemwide EHR, VA Secretary David J. Shulkin, MD, said during a June 5 press conference. Epic was reportedly not in the running for the new EHR contract, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
2. The VA selected Epic for an online medical appointment scheduling contract in 2015. Under the contract, Epic receives $624 million over five years, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. The company already rolled out a pilot project for the contract and expects to see results in 18 months.
3. A VA spokesperson told Becker's Hospital Review there is no connection between the VA's existing contract with Epic and the recent Cerner EHR announcement.
A spokesperson told the Wisconsin State Journal: "There is no connection to appointment scheduling, etc., and we expect no changes resulting from the new EHR contract."
4. An Epic spokesperson released a statement June 5 in support of its work with the VA.
"As the largest electronic health record vendor in the United States, covering two-thirds of the nation's patients, we are proud to serve our veterans both through the VA scheduling project and through our customers that care for millions of veterans across America," the statement reads. "These customers are the top health systems in America and we stand with them, committed and eager to ensure veterans get the very best medical care regardless of where they receive it."
Editor's note: Becker's Hospital Review reached out to the Department of Veterans Affairs for comment and will update as more information becomes available.