House Subcommittee Warns of Risks as VA Prepares 117‑Day ‘Go‑Live’ for New Electronic Health Record

Chairman Barrett opened the House Subcommittee on Technology Modernization hearing by saying the Veterans Affairs Department is 117 days from a planned federal electronic health record (EHR) go‑live at four Michigan medical centers and that the ‘‘clock is ticking.’’ He said the committee will insist on transparency and a ‘‘no‑fail mindset’’ because veterans ‘‘cannot accept failure.’'

Ranking Member Basinski said she was troubled by press reports that Secretary Collins plans to eliminate 35,000 Veterans Health Administration positions and asked whether VA and its contractors had fixed problems reported at the six sites already using the new system. ‘‘The VA workforce is already stretched too thin,’’ she said, and warned cuts could undermine timely care and the EHR rollout.

Dr. Neil Evans, acting program executive director for the VA EHR integration office, told the subcommittee that VA plans to deploy the federal EHR to 13 sites in 2026 (including the four Michigan sites) and intends to complete deployments at VA medical facilities ‘‘as early as 2031.’' He said the migration will transition more than 27,000 VA employees from VISTA to the federal EHR and described recent improvements, including seven pharmacy updates planned before the Michigan go‑lives and a ‘‘seamless…