Veterans Affairs
VA is already using AI to identify and assist veterans in crisis, officials say
The use of AI capabilities to review the agency’s surveys to veterans has helped save a couple thousand lives and helped another couple thousand retired servicemembers receive housing, according to VA’s chief veterans experience officer.
Proposed deep cuts to VA’s tech budget rankle lawmakers
The Biden administration’s FY25 budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs proposes steep cuts to the agency’s IT services, including a 99% reduction in VA’s development initiatives from FY24.
Lawmakers propose more scrutiny of VA's new EHR, reauthorize VET-TEC program
The bipartisan legislative package includes new oversight metrics for VA’s Oracle Cerner electronic health record system but would end the modernization effort if facilities using the software don’t show improvement.
VA’s AI model to prevent suicides is a 'game changer,' official says
The REACH-VET program identifies roughly 6,700 retired servicemembers per month, according to a top lawmaker.
Senators call for VA to tighten performance standards in new health records contract
Three lawmakers on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee are calling for the department to “add accountability and oversight provisions” in a renegotiated one-year contract with Oracle Cerner.
Change Healthcare hasn't given VA details on hack-impacted veterans, top lawmaker says
Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., said the company has “impact attestations” on those affected but won’t provide them to VA.
VA is warning veterans about Change Healthcare cyberattack, secretary says
“There’s no confirmation yet” that veterans’ data was leaked by the ransomware attack, according to the VA secretary, but the department is proactively alerting millions of veterans and beneficiaries to be safe.
Change Healthcare attack did not result in harm to veteran care, VA says
The Department of Veterans Affairs said the ransomware attack impacted just over 40,000 veterans’ prescription orders but that it moved to quickly fill the requests.
DOD’s new EHR faces low user satisfaction and integration challenges, watchdog finds
A GAO report found that “integration opportunities remain” at the joint DOD and VA rollout of their modernized EHR systems at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center last month.
VA cautiously optimistic that ‘very positive’ March EHR rollout shows reset is working
VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the department plans to restart deployments of its new health records system in FY25.
Lawmakers to include VET-TEC renewal under broader veteran bill, per committee spokesperson
VA’s five-year tech training pilot expired April 1 after Congress failed to pass legislation to renew the program.
T4NG2 protests grow to 14 with more possible
A dozen companies have gone to the court with questions over how the Veterans Affairs Department evaluated proposals for the $61 billion technology modernization contract vehicle.
VA plans to restart EHR deployments before the end of FY25, secretary says
Despite VA’s fiscal year 2025 budget request not allocating any money toward the deployment of its new EHR at additional medical facilities, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said it has “existing money” that will be made available to resume system rollouts.
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