A newly proposed bill from U.S. Reps. Mike Bost (R-IL), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), and Troy Balderson (R-OH) would prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) from carrying out further deployment of the Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) Program until system improvements and facility readiness have been certified.
The EHRM Program provides a seamless and paperless transition for United States military veterans as they transition to receiving care at VA facilities after having received care at the U.S. Department of Defense while on active duty.
The VA has implemented the Oracle Cerner EHRM system at five of 171 medical centers since 2018, and has acknowledged that the system has created unacceptable levels of productivity losses, patient safety risks, and staff burnout at these medical facilities, according to the lawmakers.
“I have traveled across the country and seen and heard firsthand the impact the Oracle Cerner product has had on VA providers and veterans,” said Rep. Bost, chairman of the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “It has crippled the delivery of care, put veteran patient safety at risk, and stressed an already overwhelmed healthcare system.”
The congressman commended the VA Secretary for pausing deployment of the new EHRM at future sites, but said, “I am not confident that will be enough.”
“It’s simple: the Oracle Cerner system should not be implemented at any more VA sites until the VAMC leadership certifies that the medical center is ready,” he said. “That’s exactly what our bill would do. I hope to get this legislation passed out of the House and signed into law as soon as possible.”
Rep. Bost on Jan. 27 sponsored the VA Electronic Health Record Modernization Improvement Act, H.R. 592, with eight original GOP cosponsors, including Reps. McMorris Rodgers, Balderson, and Newhouse.
“I am proud to introduce this legislation today alongside Chairman Bost, and will never stop fighting to ensure the federal government keeps its commitment to provide our veterans with the respect and care they have earned,” said Rep. Newhouse.
“The status quo is unacceptable; both our veterans and America’s taxpayers deserve better,” Rep. Balderson added. “The situation with the existing electronic health records system is unsustainable and must be remedied before further expansion of this program is allowed.”
If enacted, H.R. 592 would immediately freeze the rollout of Oracle Cerner’s EHRM system to any additional facilities until improvements are made to prevent patient harm, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
“The goal of modernizing the VA’s health record was simple: Make sure veterans receive the best care possible at VA facilities. Five years later, it’s abundantly clear that it’s come up short,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers said. “Veterans and providers in eastern Washington have endured enough physical and emotional harm. Real change is long overdue and necessary to make this system the improvement we hoped it would be.”
Oracle Cerner and VA leadership, added the congresswoman, “need to fix this system the right way, and the only way to do that without harming more veterans is by formally pausing its rollout.”
Specifically, H.R. 592 would require each VA medical center’s director, chief of staff, and network director to certify that the EHRM system has been correctly configured for the site, the staff and infrastructure are adequate to support it, and it would not negatively impact safety, quality, or current wait times, the summary says.
Additionally, the bill mandates that the VA and Oracle Cerner could not commence go-live preparations at additional medical centers until the VA Secretary certifies that the system has achieved 99.9 percent uptime and technical fixes have been made, states the summary.
“Requiring VA medical centers to certify this system will not threaten any more veterans before deploying it at other sites should be common sense,” Rep. Newhouse said. “Unfortunately, given the botched handling of the initial rollout, it is on Congress to ensure the VA fulfills its duty and maintains the highest level of care for the men and women who deserve it most.”
Rep. Bost on Jan. 27 also signed on as an original cosponsor of H.R. 608, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Matthew Rosendale (R-MT) to completely terminate the EHRM Program at the VA.
Both H.R. 592 and H.R. 608 have been referred to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee for consideration.