The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) EHR system, powered by Oracle Cerner, experienced a five-hour service disruption on April 17, 2023. The VA’s EHR modernization project has faced numerous challenges, including delays, cost overruns, and technical issues. The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing on April 19, 2023, to examine proposals that seek to modify or seize deployment of the EHR.
Clinicians using the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Electronic Health Record (EHR) system experienced a five-hour service disruption on April 17, 2023, according to an internal VA briefing note obtained by FedScoop. The VA EHR system, powered by Oracle Cerner, is used by healthcare providers to manage patient data and provide medical care to veterans.
The briefing note indicated that providers experienced latency issues and freezing within PowerChart, RevCycle, and other Oracle Cerner EHR applications. These performance issues impacted the ability of clinicians to access patient information, which could have potentially impacted the quality of care provided to veterans.
A statement from a VA spokesperson noted that end-users reported system issues at 2:02 PM ET, and IT service technicians resolved most performance issues between 2:35 PM and 3:45 PM. All issues were resolved by 7:58 PM, according to the statement.
“The issues were likely caused by the EHR transitioning to a larger, more capable database as part of an overarching plan to improve EHR performance and resiliency,” the official said. “The database was implemented during a downtime maintenance event held this past weekend.”
News of the service disruption comes after VA postponed EHR implementation at the agency’s Saginaw Health System in Michigan earlier this month. The VA had planned to deploy the Oracle Cerner EHR system at the Saginaw Health System in June, but recent assessments showed that the EHR system was “not yet ready for the planned June deployment,” according to a memo from Laura Ruzick, director of Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) 10.
“As VA leadership has promised, we will not deploy the new EHR system at any facility until we are confident it is ready to deliver for veterans and VA providers,” Ruzick noted. She told staff that VA postponed the EHR training scheduled for April 11 and that the VISN will have updates in the coming weeks.
“I know your commitment to this project has been and will continue to be extraordinary, and I am personally grateful to each one of you for your dedication,” Ruzick wrote. “I am confident that when we do roll out the new EHR system in Saginaw, we will make it a smooth, safe, and positive experience for veterans and staff alike — and we will do so together.”
The VA’s EHR modernization project, which began in 2018, aims to transition the VA’s existing EHR system to a modernized platform that is interoperable with the Department of Defense’s EHR system. The project is being implemented in multiple phases and is expected to be completed by 2028.
The VA has faced numerous challenges with the EHR modernization project, including delays, cost overruns, and technical issues. In February 2023, the VA announced that it was making changes to the EHR modernization project to address these challenges.
On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing to examine proposals put forward by legislators that seek either to significantly modify the EHRM program or seize deployment of the EHR. The hearing is expected to address concerns related to the cost and implementation of the EHR modernization project, as well as its impact on veterans’ healthcare.
