The Government Accountability Office has identified leading practices to guide the Department of Veterans Affairs’ electronic health record, or EHR, modernization project.
Carol Harris, director of IT and cybersecurity at GAO, also provided in her testimony before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization key reform elements of the VA’s IT budget request for fiscal year 2026.
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VA’s IT Plans for Fiscal 2026
The VA intends to spend $7.3 billion on IT for fiscal 2026. Of that sum, $3.5 billion will be invested toward accelerating the implementation of EHR.
GAO noted that the VA has attempted to implement its EHR modernization four times since 2001, with the latest attempt halted in 2023 due to widespread concerns. In December 2024, the VA announced that it would restart deployments of its EHR in 2026.
In addition, the VA will reduce spending on duplicative legacy systems and will pause new system procurements until an internal review has been conducted.
GAO’s Recommended Leading Practices for VA
The congressional watchdog offered the VA 12 leading practices divided across four categories: goals and outcomes, process for developing reforms, implementing the reforms, and managing the workforce. The leading practices include using data to address challenges and increasing employee engagement to enhance operational efficiency.
GAO also provided key questions that the VA can use to guide its agency reform efforts.
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