VA set to resume EHR rollouts in 2025 after improvements

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to resume deploying its Oracle-Cerner Electronic Health Record (EHR) system later in fiscal 2025, following a year-and-a-half pause to address significant performance issues, reports FedNewsNetwork’s Jory Heckman. The Oracle-Cerner EHR has undergone substantial improvements, including a 50% reduction in system crashes and lags, according to VA officials.

The pause allowed the VA to implement 176 updates, reducing incident tickets by 60%. These updates streamlined issue routing and improved system stability at five sites currently using the EHR. A sixth site in North Chicago, operated jointly with the Navy, is being highlighted as a promising success.

The Oracle-Cerner EHR, originally contracted during the Trump administration, supports over 400,000 VA healthcare workers and is critical to the VA’s mission as the largest integrated healthcare system in the U.S. However, the system has faced scrutiny from the VA inspector general and the GAO for prior performance issues linked to patient harm and clinician dissatisfaction.

VA officials are now adopting an incremental deployment strategy. “We’re ensuring the system meets the needs of veterans and staff before scaling up,” said Kurt DelBene, VA CIO. Plans include additional infrastructure upgrades, such as modernized Wi-Fi and new hardware installations at VA medical centers.