[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":447,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to accelerate the deployment of a Cerner patient appointment scheduling solution so the VA can implement the system earlier than its new EHR.The agency is putting Cerner\u2019s medical appointment scheduling solution on a faster track because of concerns about the 10-year implementation period required to deploy the $10 billion Cerner EHR across the VA. However, the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization\u2014which has oversight and investigative jurisdiction over the VA\u2019s major IT projects\u2014is not convinced that the agency\u2019s plan is the right course of action.\u201cFor almost 20 years, the VA has attempted to update its patient appointment scheduling system,\u201d said Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), chair of the House subcommittee, during a hearing on Thursday. \u201cNow, the VA plans to implement Cerner\u2019s scheduling solution but on a separate and faster deployment schedule than the rest of the electronic health record.\u201dLee complained that while the VA contends that their plan is efficient and cost-effective, \u201cit\u2019s been difficult to get information to support those assertions.\u201d

In addition, Lee noted that officials from the VA\u2019s Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization briefed her staff last week that the current target date for completing the full deployment of the Cerner scheduling system is 2025\u2014two years longer than what the agency reported to Congress in December 2018. Lee added that she has \u201cserious reservations\u201d about the VA\u2019s approach including the fact that agency decided to adopt the Cerner scheduling solution across the VA instead of the Medical Appointment Scheduling System (MASS), which was successfully deployed ahead of schedule last year at the Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus, Ohio, as part of a pilot program.In August 2015, the VA awarded Systems Made Simple a MASS contract valued at $624 million for a \u201cbest-of-breed, proven and mature\u201d commercial off-the-shelf medical scheduling solution. Systems Made Simple partnered with EHR vendor Epic to leverage their scheduling software for the MASS contract.Lee questioned the VA\u2019s decision to forgo the MASS contract in favor of the Cerner scheduling solution \u201cespecially given the investment, resources and apparent success of the MASS pilot program.\u201dShe pointed out that VA plans to begin the Cerner implementation in Columbus. \u201cSo, just months after the successful completion of one scheduling solution, VA\u2019s going to scrap it and implement another,\u201d Lee added. \u201cI\u2019m also concerned that the VA made assertions to Congress before it had any actual analysis of user needs, costs or benefits. Despite being six months out from beginning system implementation, the plan seems to be in rough shape.\u201dRep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), ranking member of the subcommittee, commented that \u201cthe appointment scheduling system is the VA IT system most badly in need of an overhaul\u2014more so than the financial system, the claims paying system or even the EHR.\u201dBanks said he was not surprised by the VA\u2019s decision to select the Cerner solution over MASS, given that the agency is replacing its legacy EHR with Cerner\u2019s Millennium platform. \u201cThe idea to put the (Cerner) scheduling implementation on a separate, faster track (than the new Millennium system) seems justified,\u201d Banks added. \u201cHowever, my colleagues and I have spent all year asking for the details and analysis. That information is only now starting to emerge. I need to see a lot more before I can put my confidence in this plan.\u201dJohn Windom, executive director of the VA\u2019s Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization, told the House subcommittee that\u2014like MASS\u2014Cerner\u2019s software is a \u201cresource-based scheduling solution and will be implemented in a number of VA facilities in advance\u201d of the full EHR implementation.\u201cThe Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus will serve as the pilot site for the Cerner scheduling solution and will go live in April of 2020,\u201d said Windom. \u201cVA will leverage the architecture and lessons learned from the MASS solution.\u201d<\/b> However, Banks criticized the VA for \u201cpulling the plug on Epic\u201d and its MASS pilot at the Columbus site, which he contends will lead the agency to \u201cforfeit the opportunity\u2014which may become valuable in the future\u2014to encourage greater interoperability between Cerner and Epic.\u201dWindom emphasized that \u201caccelerating\u201d the implementation of the Cerner scheduling solution will enable the VA to more quickly replace its antiquated VistA scheduling system and VistA Scheduling Enhancement (VSE), which he called the \u201ctemporary bridge\u201d for the agency\u2019s current scheduling needs.But, Banks challenged the assertion that the VA\u2019s plan is a significant acceleration of the timeline. \u201cI was disappointed to see the three-year scheduling implementation stretch out to five years before it even begins,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd, I\u2019m not so sure that this still qualifies as \u2018accelerated.\u2019 \u201d","saveContent":"The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to accelerate the deployment of a Cerner patient appointment scheduling solution so the VA can implement the system earlier than its new EHR.The agency is putting Cerner\u2019s medical appointment scheduling solution on a faster track because of concerns about the 10-year implementation period required to deploy the $10 billion Cerner EHR across the VA. However, the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization\u2014which has oversight and investigative jurisdiction over the VA\u2019s major IT projects\u2014is not convinced that the agency\u2019s plan is the right course of action.\u201cFor almost 20 years, the VA has attempted to update its patient appointment scheduling system,\u201d said Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), chair of the House subcommittee, during a hearing on Thursday. \u201cNow, the VA plans to implement Cerner\u2019s scheduling solution but on a separate and faster deployment schedule than the rest of the electronic health record.\u201dLee complained that while the VA contends that their plan is efficient and cost-effective, \u201cit\u2019s been difficult to get information to support those assertions.\u201dIn addition, Lee noted that officials from the VA\u2019s Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization briefed her staff last week that the current target date for completing the full deployment of the Cerner scheduling system is 2025\u2014two years longer than what the agency reported to Congress in December 2018. Lee added that she has \u201cserious reservations\u201d about the VA\u2019s approach including the fact that agency decided to adopt the Cerner scheduling solution across the VA instead of the Medical Appointment Scheduling System (MASS), which was successfully deployed ahead of schedule last year at the Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus, Ohio, as part of a pilot program.In August 2015, the VA awarded Systems Made Simple a MASS contract valued at $624 million for a \u201cbest-of-breed, proven and mature\u201d commercial off-the-shelf medical scheduling solution. Systems Made Simple partnered with EHR vendor Epic to leverage their scheduling software for the MASS contract.Lee questioned the VA\u2019s decision to forgo the MASS contract in favor of the Cerner scheduling solution \u201cespecially given the investment, resources and apparent success of the MASS pilot program.\u201dShe pointed out that VA plans to begin the Cerner implementation in Columbus. \u201cSo, just months after the successful completion of one scheduling solution, VA\u2019s going to scrap it and implement another,\u201d Lee added. \u201cI\u2019m also concerned that the VA made assertions to Congress before it had any actual analysis of user needs, costs or benefits. Despite being six months out from beginning system implementation, the plan seems to be in rough shape.\u201dRep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), ranking member of the subcommittee, commented that \u201cthe appointment scheduling system is the VA IT system most badly in need of an overhaul\u2014more so than the financial system, the claims paying system or even the EHR.\u201dBanks said he was not surprised by the VA\u2019s decision to select the Cerner solution over MASS, given that the agency is replacing its legacy EHR with Cerner\u2019s Millennium platform. \u201cThe idea to put the (Cerner) scheduling implementation on a separate, faster track (than the new Millennium system) seems justified,\u201d Banks added. \u201cHowever, my colleagues and I have spent all year asking for the details and analysis. That information is only now starting to emerge. I need to see a lot more before I can put my confidence in this plan.\u201dJohn Windom, executive director of the VA\u2019s Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization, told the House subcommittee that\u2014like MASS\u2014Cerner\u2019s software is a \u201cresource-based scheduling solution and will be implemented in a number of VA facilities in advance\u201d of the full EHR implementation.\u201cThe Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus will serve as the pilot site for the Cerner scheduling solution and will go live in April of 2020,\u201d said Windom. \u201cVA will leverage the architecture and lessons learned from the MASS solution.\u201d<\/b> However, Banks criticized the VA for \u201cpulling the plug on Epic\u201d and its MASS pilot at the Columbus site, which he contends will lead the agency to \u201cforfeit the opportunity\u2014which may become valuable in the future\u2014to encourage greater interoperability between Cerner and Epic.\u201dWindom emphasized that \u201caccelerating\u201d the implementation of the Cerner scheduling solution will enable the VA to more quickly replace its antiquated VistA scheduling system and VistA Scheduling Enhancement (VSE), which he called the \u201ctemporary bridge\u201d for the agency\u2019s current scheduling needs.But, Banks challenged the assertion that the VA\u2019s plan is a significant acceleration of the timeline. \u201cI was disappointed to see the three-year scheduling implementation stretch out to five years before it even begins,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd, I\u2019m not so sure that this still qualifies as \u2018accelerated.\u2019 \u201d","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

Lawmakers concerned about VA plans for Cerner scheduling solution

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