VA Clinicians Face Five-Hour EHR System Service Disruption
A VA official said the issues were likely caused by a recent database transition as part of an overarching plan to improve EHR system performance.
Clinicians using the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) EHR system experienced a five-hour service disruption on April 17, 2023, according to an internal VA briefing note obtained by FedScoop.
The briefing note indicated that providers experienced latency issues and freezing within PowerChart, RevCycle, and other Oracle Cerner EHR applications.
A statement from a VA spokesperson noted that end-users reported system issues at 2:02 PM ET, and IT service technicians resolved most performance issues between 2:35 PM and 3:45 PM.
All issues were resolved by 7:58 PM, according to the statement.
"The issues were likely caused by the EHR transitioning to a larger, more capable database as part of an overarching plan to improve EHR performance and resiliency," the official said. "The database was implemented during a downtime maintenance event held this past weekend."
News of the service disruption comes after VA postponed EHR implementation at the agency's Saginaw Health System in Michigan earlier this month.
Laura Ruzick, director of Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) 10, told staff in a memo at the time of the announcement that recent assessments show the Oracle Cerner EHR is "not yet ready for the planned June deployment" in Saginaw, Michigan.
"As VA leadership has promised, we will not deploy the new EHR system at any facility until we are confident it is ready to deliver for veterans and VA providers," Ruzick noted.
She told staff that VA postponed EHR training scheduled for April 11 and that the VISN will have updates in the coming weeks.
"I know your commitment to this project has been and will continue to be extraordinary, and I am personally grateful to each one of you for your dedication," Ruzick wrote. "I am confident that when we do roll out the new EHR system in Saginaw, we will make it a smooth, safe, and positive experience for veterans and staff alike — and we will do so together."
On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing to examine proposals put forward by legislators that seek either to significantly modify the EHRM program or seize deployment of the EHR.