With President Trump’s second time period underway, there are lots of potential modifications forward for the Division of Veterans Affairs. Efforts by the newly established Division of Authorities Effectivity are charting a brand new path ahead that would considerably improve info expertise modernization efforts throughout authorities companies, together with the VA.
As outlined within the Jan. 20 DOGE Executive Order, a key focus will likely be on “modernizing federal expertise and software program to maximise governmental effectivity and productiveness.” This initiative highlights the administration’s dedication to leveraging expertise to drive efficiencies and mission outcomes.
For trade members, this presents each a chance and a problem — to develop options that not solely improve efficiencies and cut back prices but additionally enhance look after veterans. On high of this, with the VA and different authorities companies grappling with the potential discount in full-time staff, it is going to be important for the non-public sector to deal with these expertise gaps.
Earlier than diving into the implications for IT modernization, let’s discover the administration’s imaginative and prescient for the VA’s future.
The longer term focus on the VA
Beneath President Trump’s second time period, the VA’s main priorities middle on placing veterans on the middle of care, increasing group care, in addition to addressing the shifting demographics of veterans. These objectives emphasize empowering veterans of their well being care decisions and prioritizing their general wants over bureaucratic processes.
The VA MISSION Act of 2018, which expanded veterans’ entry to non-public well being care suppliers, is anticipated to stay a cornerstone of this technique. Assembly the wants of an getting old veteran inhabitants and adapting providers for various generations may also be vital elements of VA’s roadmap.
One other space of focus is bettering the timeliness and accuracy of incapacity claims processing. By embracing automation and leveraging non-public sector experience, the VA goals to streamline this course of and ship higher outcomes for veterans.
The impression on the VA’s IT focus in 2025 and past
Former Rep. Doug Collins, the brand new VA secretary below President Trump, has emphasised the significance of bolstering group care and leveraging rising improvements to boost the VA’s mission. Considered one of his key priorities is bettering the rollout of the VA’s Digital Well being Information Modernization (EHRM) program.
The VA’s EHRM program has confronted important challenges, significantly in adapting Oracle Well being Millennium to the Veterans Well being Data Programs and Expertise Structure’s (VistA) customized performance. These efforts have consumed sources and hindered the core aim of real-time knowledge sharing.
Moreover, this system struggles with interoperability with private-sector digital well being information (EHRs) utilized by group care suppliers, a significant part for veterans receiving care outdoors of VA amenities.
Regardless of these hurdles, the VA has made notable progress. In July 2024, the company efficiently migrated its legacy system, VistA, to the cloud. VistA, which has served the Veterans Well being Administration for many years, contains over 130 cases supporting VA medical facilities and outpatient clinics.
Throughout the transition from VistA to Cerner Millennium, sustaining the performance and interoperability of VistA stays important. That is the place approaches like VistA-as-a-Service (VaaS) can come into play.
VHA legacy help by means of VistA-as-a-Service
Sustaining and modernizing VistA by means of a software-as-a-service (SaaS) providing, generally known as VaaS, is vital in the course of the transition to Cerner Millennium. This method consists of upkeep, operations and internet hosting of VistA and ancillary techniques in a cloud infrastructure.
VaaS leverages cloud infrastructure and a single supplier for upkeep and help, considerably lowering prices in comparison with in-house upkeep of VistA. This method minimizes disruptions to VA well being care providers in the course of the EHRM implementation, making certain a seamless transition expertise for veterans and employees.
As well as, VaaS relieves the VA of the burden of internally sustaining the advanced VistA system, enabling the company to reallocate sources towards the EHRM rollout. By creating monetary readability by means of subscription-based prices, the VA can streamline operations, cut back bills and refocus on delivering high-quality well being care.
A vital component throughout this transition, VaaS ensures that VistA techniques stay interoperable with the brand new Cerner system, offering entry to an entire affected person report. This functionality enhances continuity of look after veterans and helps the broader objectives of the EHRM program.
Wrapping all of it collectively
The challenges surrounding the VA’s EHRM program have been properly documented. Nevertheless, the main focus ought to now shift towards making certain its future success. Beneath the brand new VA management, this entails sustaining legacy techniques like VistA whereas prioritizing the seamless rollout of the EHRM program.
By leveraging options like VaaS, the VA can improve effectivity, cut back prices, and unencumber federal employees to focus on rolling out new EHR websites. This minimizes disruptions and reduces the chance of errors that would adversely impression veterans.
Finally, this method aligns with the brand new administration’s broader imaginative and prescient of modernizing authorities expertise to maximise effectivity and productiveness.
For the VA, it means making certain that veterans stay on the middle of care whereas equipping the company to adapt to future challenges. The profitable implementation of those initiatives will strengthen the VA’s mission and enhance outcomes for individuals who have served our nation.
David Whitmer, FACHE, is the vice chairman of federal operations at DSS Inc., and is a board-certified healthcare government with 30 years of public well being expertise on the Nationwide Institutes of Well being and the Veterans Well being Administration, together with 20 years in C-suite positions, and 10 years as member of the Senior Government Service.
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