Today the heads of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Chairman Jack Bergman (MI-01) and Ranking Member Annie Kuster (NH-02), are calling on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin to adopt a new commercial record system for America’s veterans rather than update a woefully outdated and inefficient system. For nearly two decades, the VA has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in a failed attempt to update its system without support from the private sector. Instead, Bergman and Kuster request that Mr. Shulkin work to follow the Defense Department’s lead and adopt a commercial, off-the-shelf health record system. This will save the VA millions of dollars and finally achieve the goal of seamless operation with the military, an achievement crucial to the health of America’s veterans. Joining Bergman and Kuster in the call are Representatives Mike Coffman (CO-06) and Beto O’Rourke (TX-16).

“We have an obligation to ensure that veterans experience consistent quality care,” wrote Bergman and Kuster. “The best way to achieve continuity in health information for veterans is through a unitary and seamless electronic healthcare record with DoD. We urge you to work with DoD to implement an existing COTS EHR which will ensure complete records and continuity for transitioning service members.”

The House Veterans’s Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, has oversight and investigative jurisdiction over veterans’ matters generally and such other matters as may be referred to the Subcommittee by the Chairman of the full Committee. The Subcommittee provides oversight on programs and operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as those of other federal agencies that pertain to veterans. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Subcommittee conducts hearings, site visits, and investigations nationwide.

The full text of the letter is included below and here.

February 17, 2017

The Honorable David J. Shulkin

Secretary

810 Vermont Avenue, NW

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, DC 20420

Dear Secretary Shulkin,

We write today regarding the current state of Electronic Health Record (EHR) modernization efforts within the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). Specifically, we are concerned that the VA may seek to upgrade its existing health record system, the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA), rather than adopt a seamless, consolidated system with the Department of Defense (DoD.)

On February 15, 2017, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) re-designated VA Health Care a “high-risk area” in need of additional Congressional oversight and leadership, principally in the area of IT acquisitions.  GAO also recommended that both the VA and DoD would be well advised to move to a single, integrated system. On February 7, 2017, GAO testified that “VA needs to let go of VistA and go with the commercial solution,” and that they “see no justification for VA and DoD pursuing separate systems.”

As of February 2017, the DoD has successfully implemented their first operational site with a major COTS EHR system, while the VA has indicated they intend to upgrade and possibly replace components of their existing system. In his recent testimony before the House Veteran Affairs Committee, Mr. Rob Thomas, Acting Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer for the VA, stated that the Department may be willing to pursue a COTS system. Other aspects of his testimony, however, suggested that it was the VA’s intention to simply integrate commercial elements into its existing VistA system rather than acquire a COTS system in tandem with the DoD. We are also concerned that VA may seek to acquire or create a “commercialized VistA” system, rather than an existing major COTS EHR as DoD and nearly every major medical care provider in the United States has done or is in the process of doing.

We have an obligation to ensure that veterans experience consistent quality care. The best way to achieve continuity in health information for veterans is through a unitary and seamless electronic healthcare record with DoD. We urge you to work with DoD to implement an existing COTS EHR which will ensure complete records and continuity for transitioning service members.

We thank you for consideration of our request.

Sincerely,

Ann McLane Kuster                                                                        Jack Bergman                                                                   

Ranking Member                                                                             Chairman                                                                            

Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations                 Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Beto O’Rourke                                                                                  Mike Coffman

Ranking Member                                                                            

Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity                            

Cc:

The Honorable Paul Ryan, Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Phil Roe, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans Affairs

The Honorable Tim Walz, Ranking Member, House Committee on Veterans Affairs

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