Modernization
After CIO No-Show, Congress Not Confident in VA’s IT Shop
The Veterans Affairs Department earned no goodwill when it declined to testify before a House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee.
Modernization
Management, Not Money, Will Make or Break VA Modernization, Lawmakers Say
“We are no longer on the cusp of transformation, we are in the middle of it,” Secretary Robert Wilkie told senators.
Digital Government
VA Botched GI Benefits Modernization Because Nobody Was in Charge, Watchdog Says
The project, which started in August 2017, didn’t have a designated leader until November 2018, the VA inspector general found.
Digital Government
Lawmaker Wants VA to Explain a Software Tool USDS Flagged as Flawed
A ProPublica report exposed serious issues in a Veterans Affairs Department software tool.
Cybersecurity
House VA Committee Looks into Trolls Targeting Veterans Groups
Someone’s spreading misinformation to veterans and their families and Congress wants to know who.
Modernization
House Veterans Affairs is Having Trouble Hiring Tech Experts
The group’s struggle reflects the growing shortage of tech talent on Capitol Hill.
Digital Government
GAO Flags VA Buying, Security Clearance Process as High Risk
“We keep finding the same problems over and over,” GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro told lawmakers.
Modernization
VA to Pilot Health Records System in March 2020
Lawmakers still have serious concerns about the agency’s multibillion health records overhaul.
Digital Government
Lawmaker Scolds VA Chief for 'Stonewalling' Probe Into Trump's Mar-a-Lago Crowd
House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano called out Secretary Robert Wilkie for failing to provide documents on the agency’s communication with the trio.
Modernization
Online Health Applications Increased 50 Percent After VA.gov Relaunch
The newly redesigned homepage makes it easier for vets to use self-service tools, which will save the government money, according to the agency’s digital services chief.
Modernization
Apple Is Building an iPhone App for Vets' Medical Records
The tool, which connects directly to VA’s health record database, will roll out sometime this summer.
Modernization
VA’s Health Record Overhaul Could Get Even More Expensive, Officials Say
The agency’s acting deputy secretary called the project’s $16 billion price-tag “an educated guess.”
Policy
Freshman Lawmaker Will Oversee VA’s Multibillion-dollar EHR Overhaul
Rep. Susie Lee will lead the House Veterans Affairs Technology Modernization subcommittee.
Modernization
Poor Leadership Set Back VA Data Center Consolidation Efforts, Watchdog Says
The agency failed to report an estimated 860 data centers, which violates FITARA requirements, auditors said.
Modernization
VA Selects Booz Allen Hamilton to Build New Mobile Application Cloud
The company is also responsible for migrating between 20 and 30 apps from the existing platform to the new cloud environment.
Digital Government
Senate Confirms OSTP Director, VA CIO on Final Day
Nobody has permanently served in either role since the beginning of the Trump administration.
Digital Government
Lawmakers Want IG to Dig into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Crowd
The trio of informal associates is reported to wield outsized influence over personnel and procurement decisions at the Veterans Affairs Department.
Modernization
VA Overpaid $4.5 Million in Benefits Because It Didn't Read Emails, Watchdog Says
The problem wasn’t IT infrastructure, but rather a lack thereof.
Modernization
VA Is Starting Its GI Benefits Modernization Effort From Scratch
The old system will keep calculating veterans’ housing benefits until 2020.
Modernization