Overview
- The GAO told Congress that 15 of 18 recommendations for the VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization remain open, including 12 priority items, with only two fully implemented and one partially implemented.
- The VA has not provided an updated life-cycle cost estimate, after obligating about $13.84 billion through Q2 FY 2025, while lawmakers cited a roughly $37 billion figure compared with a 2022 estimate of $49.8 billion that GAO has not received.
- VA and Oracle plan batched deployments starting with four Michigan sites going live nearly simultaneously in April 2026, nine additional sites later in 2026, about 26 sites in 2027, and completion targeted by 2031.
- Program leaders said roughly 1,500 changes have improved performance and usability, noting no systemwide outages for 10 months in fiscal 2025 and more than 200 consecutive outage-free days by year’s end.
- Oracle highlighted bed-capacity management and an AI virtual clinical assistant to automate routine documentation, as GAO and lawmakers warned that simultaneous go-lives could strain resources and increase the risk of overlooked problems.