An overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic health records (EHR) system that was announced by the Trump administration on Monday was hailed by Senate leaders as a necessary step in improving overall veterans’ health care.
VA Secretary David Shulkin announced that the VA’s current EHR platform, Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA), would be replaced with the same commercial platform used by the Department of Defense (DoD). All patient data will be stored in a single system, allowing for a smoother transition for service members leaving the military.
U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) applauded Shulkin’s announcement as an important and long-overdue step in streamlining and modernizing VA health systems.
“This decision will present an opportunity to achieve a stronger partnership between DoD and VA health information systems, moving us one step closer to streamlining the transition period for veterans entering the VA’s medical system and providing VA providers with a full clinical picture of the veteran’s medical history,” said Tillis, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel and a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
During a pre-confirmation meeting with Shulkin, Ernst raised concerns about failures within current VA systems, and she penned a letter in February questioning Shulkin’s decision to continue using an outdated VA scheduling system administered through VistA.
“I have repeatedly expressed my great concern that the VA is wasting taxpayer dollars and creating duplicative, confusing programs for veterans,” Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said. “I am pleased to hear that Secretary Shulkin will stop using this ineffective and outdated program for record keeping. The new system is designed to allow veterans’ health records to transfer seamlessly from the DoD’s system to the VA system after they leave the military. It is my hope that the VA will continue this trend, and apply the same common sense reforms to other duplicative and outdated programs in the VA, like those used for scheduling.”
The VA’s decision to procure the Cerner Corporation’s EHR system, MHS Genesis, Moran said, would reduce burdens and ease the transition of the nation’s heroes to civilian life.
“The Department of Defense’s leadership in the effort to modernize the electronic healthcare system in partnership with Cerner will help make certain the VA can streamline the transition from the Department of Defense to the Department of Veterans Affairs, improving the VA’s delivery of care for millions of veterans nationwide,” said Moran, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.