Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

VA CIO: Expect another 10 years of VistA in facilities during new EHR rollout

Fedscoop: The Department of Veterans Affairs’ chief information officer wants to temper the excitement and expectations about the VA’s move to acquire a modern, commercial off-the-shelf electronic health records system to replace its current, decades-old technology.

The legacy EHR known as VistA won’t be disappearing any time soon, CIO Scott Blackburn said Tuesday at the AFCEA Health IT Day.

As the VA rolls out its modernized Cerner-based EHR over the course of 10 years, the department will have to continue to support and invest in its plagued Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture, Blackburn said. The department announced its plan last June to buy a Cerner system based on its interoperability with the Defense Department’s own new Cerner-based system.

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