From September 21, 2022 post

On September 20, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), Chair of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (HVAC), led a joint Subcommittee hearing with the Technology Modernization Subcommittee on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) major acquisition failures and potential solutions. The hearing examined the serious challenges faced by VA in its attempts to modernize its  Electronic Health Record (EHR) and medical supply management system.

VA relies on acquisition programs to provide services and meet its mission. Over the years, as VA’s obligations have grown, VA has failed to properly handle cost management and modernization efforts. 

"The Department has a long history of failures when it comes to acquiring major new systems needed to provide benefits and health care to our nation’s veterans. Ongoing delays, setbacks, and cost overruns have added up to billions of dollars in wasteful spending on these failed modernization projects,” said Congressman Pappas. “... For years, VA has struggled to acquire a modern and effective electronic health record system. This is critical for improving health care delivery, will allow VA health care providers quick and easy access to a veteran’s medical history for efficiently scheduling appointments, ordering tests, and ensuring quality care.”

Pappas continued, “Since the department first announced its deployment plan in 2018, VA schedule and approach for rolling out the electronic health record system has been erratic at best. Both GAO and the VA Inspector General have identified multiple failures within the EHR system, including poor quality and inaccurate health care data, ever increasing acquisition cost, and inadequate training that VA staff receive before using the new system.” 

Witnesses at the hearing included representatives from VA and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Pappas began by questioning VA officials on progress and steps taken since these past failures:

Chair Pappas: "Mr. Parrish, maybe I can start with you. I talked in my opening about the problems with major acquisitions, including EHRM and supply chain management. I’m wondering if you could focus on these two systems and sum up what you’ve been discussing through your testimony, which is how can VA avoid future failures and learn from past mistakes? And what’s different now that wasn’t in place, say a year ago, two years ago, five years ago for VA to ensure success?”

Michael Parrish, Chief Acquisition Officer and Principal Executive Director for VA’s Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction: “I think two big answers to Chairman Pappas is the jointness is transparency. We’re working as a collaborative team… The other part is that quantitative and qualitative understanding and that rigor of oversight that we’ve established with our VA operating board, chaired by the Deputy Secretary, and ultimately the VA Executive Board, chaired by the Secretary… I guess the other big component going forward is that there are no waivers or options to be able to, to kind of, voluntarily follow the process. It’s a mandatory process and it’s enforceable.”

Pappas also questioned GAO representatives on VA’s failures found in their report on the VA’s acquisition management:

Chair Pappas: “Ms. Oakley, maybe you can react to that and I’m wondering if you can talk a little about the August report that found that VA hasn’t been able to get acquisition management on the right track, still lacks a real framework. And correct me if I’m wrong, that VA hasn’t even determined what modernization programs would be included in this framework for increased oversight?”

Ms. Shelby Oakley, Director of Contracting and National Security Acquisitions for the U.S. Government Accountability Office: “Yes, absolutely, happy to react to that. I think that when we are talking about what's different from before to now, there are some things that are different. This ALF framework is intended to apply to all acquisitions. Right, so everybody that does an acquisition in the VA is supposed to be following the tenants of this ALF framework. So, that’s a good thing. The problem is VA can’t easily identify its acquisition programs… So aside from the biggies, that’s EHRM, FMBT and the supply chain modernization, that will obviously be considered the big or major acquisitions that require the highest level of oversight. We don’t have insight and we don’t think VA does yet…” 

Issues: Veterans

Original source can be found here.