Wisconsin lawmakers urge single vendor for VA, DOD health records upgrade

A group of Wisconsin lawmakers is urging the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments to consider using a single commercial vendor to handle their digital health records because that approach would be faster to deploy, more efficient and better for patient safety, according to a report today by Nextgov.

If VA and DOD accept that recommendation, it potentially could cause a delay in current plans for integration and modernization of VA and DOD record systems. It also could benefit medical record system solutions provider Epic Systems Corp. of Verona, Wisconsin. With 4,200 workers, it is one of Wisconsin’s largest employers.

Both Wisconsin senators, Democrat Herb Kohl and Republican Ron Johnson, along with three congressional representatives, wrote to VA and Defense officials on Feb. 7 asking if the benefits of using a single commercial records system had received “appropriate consideration” as the two departments modernize and integrate their medical records systems.

Nextgov released a copy of the letter in its report.

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