03/29/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/29/2023 13:50
(U.S. Senate) - Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and his Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee colleagues U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) are spearheading a legislative push to deliver a complete overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program.
The Senators will be introducing comprehensive legislation in the coming days that would require VA to implement a series of EHRM reforms to better serve veterans, medical personnel, and taxpayers. Their bill would restructure, enhance, and strengthen the entire EHRM program while also mandating aggressive reporting to Congress to increase oversight, accountability, and transparency following a series of challenges with the system and program, including those found in VA's recent EHRM Sprint Report and a review from the Government Accountability Office. This is just the latest in a series of challenges related to the program which launched in 2017 and was deployed at the first VA hospital in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's clear that the new EHR system is failing veterans, medical personnel, and taxpayers, and we need aggressive measures to right this ship and get a better return on investment through this contract," said Chairman Tester. "That's why my colleagues and I are putting forth comprehensive legislation to increase transparency and oversight over the new electronic health record system-holding VA and Oracle Cerner accountable on behalf of the men and women who risked their lives to defend our country. Veterans deserve nothing less, and I won't back down from our continued commitment to safely deliver them the health care they need and earned."
"I have been clear from the start-VA cannot continue with its current EHR system until it works for providers and keeps patients safe. This legislation will put into law the kind of aggressive oversight necessary to fix the current system-that's my first priority," said Senator Murray. "Importantly, this set of reforms will also overhaul the contracts and acquisitions process so that the issues we've seen these last few years can be prevented in the future. I want to make sure the dedicated providers at VA can do their jobs and that our veterans are getting the high quality care they have earned and deserve. Let's pass the EHR Program RESET Act as soon as possible."
"Too many veterans and workers have faced confusion and unnecessary problems because of VA's Electronic Health Record rollout. VA needs a reset, and must meet specific metrics on patient safety, cost, and VA employee productivity, to improve morale and improve veterans' experiences when they turn to the VA for care," said Senator Brown. "As VA employees at Chalmers in Columbus continue to work through issues related to Oracle Cerner's product, I'll continue fighting for them, and for the veterans they serve, to improve this program before the Department moves forward with any other VA facilities."
Among its many provisions, the Senators' legislation would require VA to:
The legislation would also require the Department of Defense (DoD) to report to Congress quarterly on steps it is taking fix DoD information technology systems, including those which are outdated and are negatively impacting VA's ability to deliver health care, benefits, and other services, including through the new EHR.