Three senators plan to introduce a bill that would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to introduce reforms to its electronic health record modernization program.
The proposed measure would require VA to establish metrics to guide how the department should field the new EHR system at additional VA facilities and name a lead senior negotiator and engage other federal agencies and independent outside experts to provide advice on how to manage EHR contract negotiations with Oracle Cerner. The website of Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., reported the news Wednesday.
Sens. Murray, Jon Tester, D-Mont. and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, intend to propose the EHR Program RESET Act.
The legislation would direct VA and Oracle Cerner to address the technology features associated with the health safety and delivery issues in the department’s March 2023 Sprint Report and require the department to introduce major acquisition reforms to prevent future planning, contracting and management issues from occurring.
Under the bill, the Department of Defense should submit quarterly reports to Congress with regard to the measures it is taking to address issues with its information technology systems.
