Veterans Affairs
VA, DOD are now live on national health data sharing superhighway
The Social Security Administration, Indian Health Service and the Consumer Product Safety Commission all previously joined the initiative.
VA professional association asks Congress ‘to pause further deployments’ of new EHR
The National Association of Veteran Affairs Physicians and Dentists sent a letter to top lawmakers that asked them to only allow new software rollouts to resume after VA has “completed an independent patient-safety assessment at the converted sites.”
VA completes 2026 EHR system deployments with final two site go-lives
The new Oracle Health EHR rollouts in Ohio and Alaska bring the agency’s total deployments to 13 medical facilities this year.
VA pushes external providers to adopt tech streamlining veteran specialist appointments
The effort comes after Secretary Doug Collins told lawmakers last year the federal government is doing “everything we possibly can” to boost the technology’s adoption.
Top Dems press VA for answers on $17B EHR modernization contract boost
The ranking members of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees said VA’s “citation of ‘unanticipated complexities’ as the rationale for nearly tripling the original contract remains unexplained.”
VA rolls out CLEAR login option and in-person identity verification pilot
The new offering will allow participating veterans to use facial recognition to access their VA.gov accounts.
Abridge selected for VA ambient AI enterprise contract
The department plans to expand the technology to select outpatient care providers.
VA watchdog uses AI to help compile healthcare facility audits
The Office of Inspector General has been using Copilot Chat “to review inspection data such as interview transcripts, documents, questionnaire responses, and physical observations.”
VA to gradually expand medical AI scribe following successful pilots
The department is seeking to expand providers’ use of the technology with an enterprise contract in 2026.
Trump signs veterans benefits order calling for improved data sharing
The order instructs the departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense to conduct a broad review of information technology-related contracts to ensure greater interoperability.
House panel subpoenas Oracle heads over VA health record overhaul’s ballooning costs
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted 19-0 to subpoena Oracle Chairman and Co-founder Larry Ellison and Oracle CEO Mike Sicilia after VA announced plans to boost its contract with the tech giant by $17 billion.
Contractor may have used AI to falsify payment dispute financial documents, appeals board finds
A legal expert told Nextgov/FCW the possibility underscores how the federal government is “fully unprepared for how bad” AI-driven procurement fraud is going to get.
VA deploys new EHR at 3 Indiana-based medical facilities
The latest round of go-lives brings the total number of site rollouts this year to 11.
VA boosts EHR modernization contract with Oracle by $17B
The modified agreement raises the contract’s total value to just under $27 billion.
National crisis and support hotline operations remained consistent despite staffing cuts, watchdog found
Some staff operating mental health support hotlines at the departments of Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs were subject to reductions in force last year and have not yet been replaced.
VA seeks to extend its Oracle health record contract through 2031
“This action is necessary to continue [electronic health record modernization] deployment activities and associated support services until all VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) and related facilities have fully transitioned to the EHR system,” the department said in a Sam.gov solicitation notice.
Oversight and program management gaps slowing VA’s benefits processing system modernization, OIG says
The watchdog said cost estimate and project planning issues are among the top factors afflicting VA’s overhaul of its legacy Benefits Enterprise Platform.
VA awards Salesforce $1.6B contract for veteran care and services
The contract adds to existing Salesforce deployments for suicide prevention, health care communications and more.
VA expands use of extended reality tech across healthcare operations
Anne Lord Bailey, who leads VA’s Strategic Initiatives Lab, said veterans who have used immersive tech have reported therapeutic benefits that extend beyond the conditions being treated by the headsets.
VA wants more input on proposals to streamline benefits application forms
The Department of Veterans Affairs is sourcing feedback on two proposals to shorten the length of benefits forms but has thus far only received a total of nine comments since the recommendations were posted last month.
