[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":14,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"The chair of the House subcommittee charged with legislative oversight of the VA\u2019s Cerner electronic health record implementation is concerned about the agency\u2019s decision to delay the EHR\u2019s initial go-live.\u201cI\u2019m concerned that as we\u2019ve moved closer to the go-live date, we have been told repeatedly that there were no showstoppers in the implementation, that testing was going great and things were on track,\u201d said Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), chair of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, during a hearing on Wednesday.

In late March, the agency had planned to roll out the EHR at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. However, the VA announced earlier this week that it is delaying next month\u2019s go-live at the site in the Pacific Northwest and that a \u201crevised\u201d schedule will be issued in the coming weeks.Also See:<\/b> VA delays first go-live of Cerner EHR at Spokane center<\/a>Lee made a statement earlier in the week in which she noted that committee staff were not informed about any major problems with the EHR implementation despite a call with VA officials on January 17 and a meeting with Cerner officials on February 6. \u201cI\u2019ve long said that getting it right is far more important than hitting a date on a calendar and, if there needs to be a delay to get the system to a place where veterans\u2019 lives are not at risk and the VA staff are ready to use it, then that\u2019s the right thing to do,\u201d Lee added, while noting that \u201cin software development and testing, conditions can change rapidly.\u201dAt the same time, Lee emphasized the VA must be transparent and accountable for its actions.\u201cThere are many questions that remain and the subcommittee needs answers in order to continue its oversight of the $16 billion project\u2014especially as the President\u2019s budget proposes a speedup of the rollout,\u201d she concluded. \u201cTherefore, the subcommittee will be scheduling a hearing on this topic in the coming weeks and will request to hear from decisionmakers at the VA.\u201dRep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), ranking member of the subcommittee, commented during Wednesday\u2019s hearing on a separate agency topic that he was \u201cextremely disappointed that there is no VA witness here today to discuss electronic health record modernization, especially in light of the department\u2019s recent decision to take more time to prepare for the implementation in Spokane.\u201dNonetheless, Banks said that he \u201cwholeheartedly\u201d supports VA Secretary Robert Wilkie\u2019s decision to delay the March 28 go-live. \u201cI am glad, though, that we will have an opportunity to question VA very soon about how exactly the additional time will be used to make the implementation more effective,\u201d he added.","saveContent":"The chair of the House subcommittee charged with legislative oversight of the VA\u2019s Cerner electronic health record implementation is concerned about the agency\u2019s decision to delay the EHR\u2019s initial go-live.\u201cI\u2019m concerned that as we\u2019ve moved closer to the go-live date, we have been told repeatedly that there were no showstoppers in the implementation, that testing was going great and things were on track,\u201d said Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), chair of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, during a hearing on Wednesday.In late March, the agency had planned to roll out the EHR at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. However, the VA announced earlier this week that it is delaying next month\u2019s go-live at the site in the Pacific Northwest and that a \u201crevised\u201d schedule will be issued in the coming weeks.Also See:<\/b> VA delays first go-live of Cerner EHR at Spokane center<\/a>Lee made a statement earlier in the week in which she noted that committee staff were not informed about any major problems with the EHR implementation despite a call with VA officials on January 17 and a meeting with Cerner officials on February 6. \u201cI\u2019ve long said that getting it right is far more important than hitting a date on a calendar and, if there needs to be a delay to get the system to a place where veterans\u2019 lives are not at risk and the VA staff are ready to use it, then that\u2019s the right thing to do,\u201d Lee added, while noting that \u201cin software development and testing, conditions can change rapidly.\u201dAt the same time, Lee emphasized the VA must be transparent and accountable for its actions.\u201cThere are many questions that remain and the subcommittee needs answers in order to continue its oversight of the $16 billion project\u2014especially as the President\u2019s budget proposes a speedup of the rollout,\u201d she concluded. \u201cTherefore, the subcommittee will be scheduling a hearing on this topic in the coming weeks and will request to hear from decisionmakers at the VA.\u201dRep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), ranking member of the subcommittee, commented during Wednesday\u2019s hearing on a separate agency topic that he was \u201cextremely disappointed that there is no VA witness here today to discuss electronic health record modernization, especially in light of the department\u2019s recent decision to take more time to prepare for the implementation in Spokane.\u201dNonetheless, Banks said that he \u201cwholeheartedly\u201d supports VA Secretary Robert Wilkie\u2019s decision to delay the March 28 go-live. \u201cI am glad, though, that we will have an opportunity to question VA very soon about how exactly the additional time will be used to make the implementation more effective,\u201d he added.","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

House panel to hold hearing on VA delay of first EHR go-live

More for you