Veterans Affairs officials plan to rapidly accelerate the rollout of the department’s new electronic health record system this year, adding up to 12 new sites to the deployment schedule by the start of 2026.
In December, department leaders had announced plans to resume deployment of the controversial Oracle Cerner system in mid-2026, with a few sites implementing training and software over the next 18 months.
But in an interview with Military Times this week, VA Secretary Doug Collins called that schedule too short-sighted and slow. He promised quicker delivery on the pledge of a revamped health records system for patients and employees.
“This has been a $10 billion project that’s not going anywhere,” Collins said. “So I’m pleased to announce right now that we’re moving forward on a new plan that is going to bring by next year double or almost triple the number of hospitals online.
“We’ve worked through standardization. We’ve got some plans now that, after almost two and a half years of nothing, we’re now moving forward to get this project done. There’s a lot going on here that I’m excited about.”
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The health records overhaul project, launched by President Donald Trump in 2017, was designed to bring veterans’ health records in line with military files for the first time. The project was originally scheduled to take 10 years and cost $16 billion. But nearly eight years later, only six of VA’s 170-plus medical sites are using the software.
That’s because of repeated rollout challenges surrounding the software. Former VA Secretary Denis McDonough announced a full pause of the rollout in April 2023 after concerns from investigators and lawmakers over patient safety regarding lost or missing files from active patients.
Staffers also complained to federal investigators about poor training, frequent system outages and lackluster support programs.
The total cost of the program has already reached $16 billion, with outside advocates warning that figure could rise even higher.
Still, VA and Oracle officials testified to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee two weeks ago that they were confident the program was back on track. They expressed optimism about the mid-2026 rollout plan.
Collins said since then, he has met with Oracle and VA leaders to push for a more aggressive schedule.
“They’re going to have to face me every week that they don’t get it done,” he said. “Our folks are going to understand that we have to do our part in the contract, and Oracle understands that they want to do the best job they can on their end of the contract.”
Collins did not say whether the next sites for the rollout have been selected. He did say he is confident that VA staffers will be able to get the right training and preparation ahead of any new sites being brought online.
“I think the problem was that we didn’t have enough leadership to say, ‘Let’s bring you two together and actually do it,’” he said. “I talk to people. I’m not management by email. I’m management by talking to you. I’m management by hearing from folks. And leadership is about setting a vision, saying this will get fixed.”
Collins’ pledge comes as VA is reviewing its entire workforce organization, with a goal of reducing staffing by roughly 80,000 employees this year. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have warned that trying to install the new records system without sufficient support staff could result in employee frustration and patient safety issues.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
