VA’s EHR Rollout Expected to Resume in 2022

Dr. Carolyn Clancy, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, told lawmakers that the agency will likely resume deployments of its modernized electronic health record system in 2022.

Speaking before members of the House VA Committee, Clancy said a new deployment schedule would not be ready until the end of the year.

Rep. Mike Bost welcomed the change in schedule, saying it would be irresponsible to deploy the EHR system until all of its bugs are resolved, FedScoop reported.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough already stated in a July 14 Senate hearing that the agency will follow an evidence-based readiness schedule moving forward instead of simply basing future rollouts on time and location.

The EHR program has been the subject of scrutiny by lawmakers and government watchdogs alike.

Program costs were the main concern, with initial estimates calculated to be $2.6 billion short of what could be needed. Subsequently, House representatives introduced the VA Electronic Health Record Transparency Act of 2021.

If approved, the legislation would require the agency to submit reports consolidating all expenses, including infrastructure upgrade costs, which had been counted separately.

The VA’s Office of the Inspector General also flagged the insufficient EHR training provided by the agency to clinicians. According to the IG, the lack of training led to the misuse and distrust of the EHR system across medical facilities.