Kurt DelBene: VA Remains Committed to Oracle Cerner EHR System Rollout

The Department of Veterans Affairs remains committed to rolling out a modern electronic health records system.

Kurt DelBene, assistant secretary for information and technology and chief information officer, said that the VA is still planning a joint deployment of the Oracle Cerner Millennium EHR system with the Department of Defense in 2024 in a Chicago health facility. However, VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes said the department has yet to set a concrete schedule.

In 2020, the department deployed the platform at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington. The Oracle system replaces the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture, a system experiencing cost concerns, patient safety issues and usability problems, Nextgov/FCW reported.

The Cerner rollout encountered challenges through the years. In April, the VA announced the delay of the modern EHR deployment at several locations due to technical issues associated with patient scheduling and medication management.

Due to the roadblocks experienced by the EHR modernization effort, Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., filed a bill to shut down the EHR initiative as costs have ballooned to over $20 billion from the expected original expense of $16 billion.