DoD Official Says Agency *Might* Select VistA Derivative

While it appears to be an outside shot, it’s possible that the Department of Defense might still consider a derivative of the VistA EMR for its VA EMR integration project, though a straight ahead VistA implementation sounds like it may be out of the question.

At a briefing by DoD, Under Secretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall said that while using and modernizing VistA was a “reasonable decision” for VA, it’s necessarily as bright an idea for the DoD.

After doing market research, DoD technology leaders have decided that they’ll consider a mix of competing commercial products as well as Vista-based systems, and have taken in about 20 pitches from EMR vendors.

“Three of them were from VistA-based approaches, and the rest were from other approaches,” Kendall said. “So we think we have a rich field to pick from, and we can make a best value determination for DoD.”

When asked how much the DoD’s next EMR move is going to cost, Kendall did a bit of a bob and weave, saying that seamlessly integrated data is funded in the ’13 and ’14 budgets, without naming a number for those projects or long-term costs.

OK folks. You know what?  This whole thing really ticks me off — how about you?

I don’t know why the DoD is so dismissive of VistA, but despite its colossal failures with AHLTA and the death of the iEHR project, people there still seem to think they should pursue their own course rather than go with what’s been working at the VA.

And as an American taxpayer, much less a health IT analyst, I’m really tired of hearing the leadership at DoD justify their shaky moves in the EMR arena.

Come on, Mr. Kendall. Why won’t you be more specific about the costs of your health IT initiative?  Perhaps it’s because VistA-based products could cost 10 times less than, say, an Epic installation and you don’t want annoying editors like me bugging you about it?

Apparently even blistering critiques by your colleagues haven’t moved leaders like you off of your entrenched commercial approach to EMR integration.  I guess it’ll take a memo from on high — apparently one from President Obama doesn’t suffice — to get the generalissimos of HIT at the DoD to try something that might work.

About the author

Anne Zieger

Anne Zieger is a healthcare journalist who has written about the industry for 30 years. Her work has appeared in all of the leading healthcare industry publications, and she's served as editor in chief of several healthcare B2B sites.

2 Comments

  • I have been trying g to find AHLTA on the ONC’s CHPL site ..as I am working with a physician who works at an air force base as well as his own private practice an wants to participate in CMS EHR Incentive program. Is it possible that AHLTA is NOT a certified electronic health recorder technology for meaningful use incentive??? Can that be true? The doctor is a civilian working on base.

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