VA Deputy Secretary on Resuming EHR Rollout

After a three-year pause of the Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program, the VA resumed rollout this past weekend with a renewed focus on governance, user experience and measurable outcomes. Deputy Secretary and Acting CIO Paul Lawrence, Ph.D. joined HealthCast to discuss what the department learned during the pause and how those insights are shaping a more disciplined, forward-looking approach to modernization.

Lawrence explained the role of newly added senior advisors in refining key areas like software development and field adoption, as well as the department’s phased approach to upgrading critical components such as the pharmacy module.

Looking ahead, Lawrence outlined how the VA is incorporating user feedback, enhancing system functionality and building a repeatable framework to scale modernization across the enterprise. He also discussed early feedback following the program’s resumption and how those lessons will shape the VA’s long-term digital transformation strategy.

Interested in where federal health IT is headed next?

GovCIO Media & Research’s Health IT Summit (September 2 in Bethesda) brings together federal health leaders to discuss EHR modernization, AI adoption, cybersecurity and more. The event is free to attend for federal employees.