Modernization
DHS faces slow disaster response burdened by legacy systems, officials warn
Officials told a Senate committee on Wednesday that the Department of Homeland Security had severely outdated information technology systems across various components.
Modernization
Debt ceiling politics could derail plans for modernizing unemployment benefits delivery
The department has a plan to build on modular modernization advances piloted in New Jersey, but provisions in the debt ceiling compromise legislation could claw back funding pledged in the American Rescue Plan Act.
Modernization
Budget and tech challenges loom over IRS's direct file pilot
The news of the forthcoming pilot was followed this week by a compromise debt ceiling bill that includes reallocating $20 billion of the funding the IRS got as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Modernization
FCW Insider Chat: The top winners of the Fed100
The fifth and final episode of the FCW Insider Chat podcast highlights the work of the top three winners of this year’s Federal 100, the original and most prestigious awards program for the federal IT community.
Modernization
VA Lacks Goals to Assess Satisfaction With New EHR, Watchdog Finds
The report from the Government Accountability Office found that the absence of such goals has limited the agency’s ability to “objectively measure progress toward improving EHRM users’ satisfaction.”
Modernization
Four federal departments have not fully implemented cloud security practices, GAO says
The departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, Labor and Treasury have made varying amounts of progress in applying crucial cloud security practices, but remain far from fully executing them, the watchdog found.
Modernization
Tech experts say federal government needs more AI leadership positions at agencies
Federal agencies are lacking critical points of contact for the government to coordinate on responsible oversight and use of artificial intelligence tools, experts said Tuesday.
Modernization
VA puts Oracle Cerner on a short leash in $10B health records contract
The agency extended the contract for its EHR provider by one year, and put performance conditions in place.
Modernization
2 Agencies Still Behind on Years-Old Legacy IT Recommendations, Watchdog Finds
Despite some agencies making significant progress, the Transportation Department and the Office of Personnel Management have not fully implemented the watchdog’s prior recommendations.
Modernization
House Lawmakers Lambast EHR Rollout Over Pharmacy Problems
Both witnesses and lawmakers agreed that the Oracle Cerner EHR system at its current state is not satisfactory—but disagreed over how to fix it.
Modernization
Lawmakers tackle VA pharmacy tech woes at hearing
The new commercial health record in use at five sites requires time-consuming workarounds that are taxing resources and depleting morale.
Modernization
FCW Insider Chat: Cyber and Tech Policy
Technology Modernization Fund Executive Director Raylene Yung and Christian Hoehner of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee join the podcast to talk TMF, FedRamp Authorization and more.
Modernization
GSA Pilots New Platform for Multiple Award Schedule Contractors
The new platform will make it easier for contractors to update their catalogs on the agency’s central purchasing website and will eventually replace the Schedule Input Program.
Modernization
Accelerated FAA modernization will suffer under stopgap funding, says agency head
A full year continuing resolution would hamper needed tech upgrades, according to the FAA's top official.
Modernization
House Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Reform VA’s EHR Program
The bipartisan proposal would require VA to prioritize system improvements at the five medical facilities currently using the new software before deploying it at any additional sites.
Modernization
VA Pauses Future EHR Deployments Under ‘Larger Program Reset’
The Department of Veterans Affairs said it plans to delay future rollouts of the new EHR system until it is confident that the software “is highly functioning at current sites and ready to deliver for veterans and VA clinicians at future sites.”
Modernization
House Lawmakers Coalesce Around Bipartisan Fixes to VA’s EHR System
The top Democrat and Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee have started bipartisan negotiations to address the Department of Veterans Affairs’ troubled rollout of its new electronic health record system.
Modernization
Congress's Competing Proposals to Fix VA's Ailing EHR Program
Top lawmakers tasked with overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs have introduced competing bills to enhance oversight of VA’s new electronic health record system.
Modernization
Taxpayer data at risk due to cybersecurity deficiencies at IRS, report warns
An annual assessment of the IRS' information technology program alleges critical cybersecurity deficiencies in the agency's handling of taxpayer data privacy.
Digital Government