{"id":12593,"date":"2018-04-19T14:44:50","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T14:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/19\/ambitious-va-medical-records-overhaul-in-jeopardy-after-department-shakeup\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:42:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:42:28","slug":"ambitious-va-medical-records-overhaul-in-jeopardy-after-department-shakeup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/19\/ambitious-va-medical-records-overhaul-in-jeopardy-after-department-shakeup\/","title":{"rendered":"Ambitious VA medical records overhaul in jeopardy after department shakeup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Plans to <a href=\"https:\/\/rebootcamp.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2017\/06\/05\/va-to-use-dod-s-electronic-medical-records-system\/\">overhaul the Veterans Affairs medical records system<\/a>, one of President Donald Trump\u2019s most touted achievements last year, may be on the verge of collapse because of the leadership upheaval at the department in recent weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Multiple sources close to work on the issue say White House officials are wavering on whether to move ahead on contract plans with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/02\/28\/officials-say-new-military-health-records-plan-on-track-already-showing-results\/\">Missouri-based Cerner Corp.<\/a> to bring VA\u2019s electronic medical records systems in line with the Defense Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, the department\u2019s new chief technology official \u2014 just appointed this week \u2014 is facing heavy criticism for a lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment while he was working for Trump\u2018s presidential campaign, calling into question whether he can shepherd the deal to completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The controversies cast a pall over the ambitious medical records plan, expected to take more than a decade and upwards of $16 billion to implement. Last summer, Trump touted the agreement as a victory for veterans and proof that his administration could cut through Washington bureaucracy to provide better services for all Americans.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2018\/04\/17\/veterans-affairs-cio-scott-blackburn-resigns\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"172\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Scott-Blackburn.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Veterans Affairs CIO Scott Blackburn resigns<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Blackburn became acting chief information officer at Veterans Affairs in October 2017, and will now be taking a few months time off of work, according to his tweet announcing the resignation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/04\/12\/veterans-advocates-honor-fired-va-secretary-at-private-dc-event\/\">Former VA Secretary David Shulkin<\/a>, who unveiled the plan in a highly hyped press conference last June, had said he expected contract negotiations to be completed by last fall, then by early 2018. He also said publicly he was close to finalizing the deal in the days before his firing by Trump last month.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, both Cerner and administration officials are mum on when a new deal will be signed, if at all. Cerner referred all questions on the matter to VA leadership.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked for the current status of the deal, VA spokesman Curt Cashour said the department \u201cdoesn\u2019t typically comment on ongoing negotiations.\u201d When asked if the department is still committed to adopting the same health records platform as the Defense Department, he gave the same reply.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Cashour did say the firing of Shulkin has not affected work on the issue.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The VA\u2019s electronic health records systems have been a point of contention for years, with lawmakers repeatedly questioning why the department and Pentagon cannot better share troop\u2019s medical information.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2009, then President Barack Obama made promises similar to Trump\u2019s to modernize both department\u2019s medical records and provide seamless transition for troops leaving the ranks.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in the ensuing years, VA has spent more than $1 billion to make its legacy health record systems work better with military systems, with mixed success. The new VA-Cerner contract would have put veterans records on the military\u2019s new MHS GENESIS records system, which is currently being installed at military health facilities.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Administration and Cerner officials have quarrelled behind the scenes over intellectual property rights and universal compatibility issues with the VA contract, but department officials had downplayed those in recent months as technical discussions that did not endanger the deal.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In early March, in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee, Shulkin said he was confident the work would be completed soon and would have widespread benefits \u201cnot only for veterans but across the country for all Americans.\u201d He believed the new records system could serve as a standard for nationwide electronic health records, breaking down proprietary barriers that health experts have long lamented.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI believe we will soon be at a contract that will be groundbreaking for new rules in interoperability,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve gotten 11 major hospital systems to sign on to a pledge that they will adhere to open (application program interfaces) and industry standards. And more and more health systems will want to work with veterans.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"801\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-826020084.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-826020084.jpg.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-826020084.jpg.jpg?resize=300,235 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-826020084.jpg.jpg?resize=768,601 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump listens to applause with Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. David Shulkin at the announcement by the Department of Veterans Affairs outlining a new program using video and software technology to provide medical care to veterans at the White House on Aug. 3, 2017, in Washington. (Chris Kleponis\/Pool, Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scott Blackburn, VA\u2019s acting executive for the Office of Information and Technology, had been working on finalizing the contract with Shulkin in recent months. He left the post this week, and was replaced by Camilo Sandoval, the former data operations director for Trump\u2019s presidential campaign.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sandoval\u2019s appointment is temporary, but has already drawn strong reactions from lawmakers on Capitol Hill. On Wednesday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2018\/04\/18\/va-information-officer-camilo-sandova-accusations-491957\">Politico reported <\/a>that another former Trump campaign staffer filed a lawsuit against Sandoval in November charging he sexually harassed and discriminated against her while the two worked to get Trump into the White House.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPresident Trump\u2019s naming of a profoundly inexperienced campaign staffer accused of sexual harassment to serve as VA\u2019s Chief Information Officer is disturbing, unacceptable, and another sad illustration of this administration\u2019s disregard for our nation\u2019s veterans,\u201d said Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., and ranking member of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt a time of implementation of critical VA initiatives, such as the modernization of VA\u2019s electronic health record system and confronting an aging IT infrastructure, this is a profoundly bad decision that disrespects those who have worn our nation\u2019s uniform.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fellow committee member Rep. Ann Kuster, D-N.H., similarly called for Trump to remove Sandoval, who was also among a group of political operatives in the administration that Shulkin accused of undermining his tenure at VA.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/11\/vets-groups-and-lawmakers-say-theyre-against-it-but-what-does-privatization-of-veterans-affairs-really-mean\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_13102205629.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Vets groups and lawmakers say they\u2019re against it \u2014 but what does \u2018privatization\u2019 of Veterans Affairs really mean?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The term will command much of the debate at the new VA secretary&#039;s confirmation hearing, but different groups have different definitions.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The medical records issue is expected to be among the topics that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/04\/17\/senator-secretary-nominee-opposed-privatizing-va\/\">VA Secretary nominee Ronny Jackson<\/a> faces at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee on April 25. Jackson, who currently serves as the White House physician, has not made any public comments on the matter thus far.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Trump named Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/04\/03\/vets-group-wants-acting-va-secretary-out-calling-his-assignment-a-legal-worry\/\">Robert Wilkie<\/a> as the new acting VA secretary during Jackson\u2019s confirmation process. White House officials have not said whether he\u2019ll have the authority to move ahead with the Cerner negotiations during that time.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The department has been without a permanent under secretary for health since February 2017, when Shulkin was promoted from that spot to the top VA post, and without a permanent chief information officer since January 2017, when LaVerne Council stepped down during the presidential transition.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cashour said a candidate for the latter post has been identified and is being vetted by the White House.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former VA Secretary David Shulkin has said the department was close to finalizing a contract just before he was fired. Now the deal is in limbo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":29623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,157,79,12,26,15,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-12593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-health-care-benefits","category-military-benefits","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pay-benefits","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"3IUASSAMAFDLDO4MOLO55SDDVY","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2018\/04\/19\/ambitious-va-medical-records-overhaul-in-jeopardy-after-department-shakeup\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ambitious VA medical records overhaul in jeopardy after department shakeup - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Former VA Secretary David Shulkin has said the department was close to finalizing a contract just before he was fired. Now the deal is in limbo.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ambitious VA medical records overhaul in jeopardy after department shakeup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Former VA Secretary David Shulkin has said the department was close to finalizing a contract just before he was fired. Now the deal is in limbo.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/19\/ambitious-va-medical-records-overhaul-in-jeopardy-after-department-shakeup\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-04-19T14:44:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T01:42:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Leo Shane III\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Leo Shane III\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/19\\\/ambitious-va-medical-records-overhaul-in-jeopardy-after-department-shakeup\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/19\\\/ambitious-va-medical-records-overhaul-in-jeopardy-after-department-shakeup\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Ambitious VA medical records overhaul in jeopardy after department shakeup\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-04-19T14:44:50+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T01:42:28+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/19\\\/ambitious-va-medical-records-overhaul-in-jeopardy-after-department-shakeup\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1037,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/19\\\/ambitious-va-medical-records-overhaul-in-jeopardy-after-department-shakeup\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/fed-nicole-data-technologiejpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Health Care\",\n\t                \"Military Benefits\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Pay &amp; 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