VA Delays Launch of New EHR System

The Department of Veterans Affairs has delayed its launch of a new electronic health record system to allow more time for training employees on how to operate it. VA Press Secretary Christina Mandreucci said the department complied with lawmakers' warnings about rushing the system's implementation. Mandreucci said the system is 75 percent to 80 percent complete and that a revised schedule will be announced in the coming weeks, the Military Times reported Wednesday. The system's deployment was originally set to begin in March at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Wash, according to senior department officials. In its 2021 fiscal budget proposal, the White House requested an additional $2.6B to fund the project. The bulk of the money will be spent on new equipment and infrastructure related to record upgrades.