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In a letter to Veterans Administration Secretary Dennis McDonough following news of the proposed staffing cuts at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said hiring has been restricted and staff Further cuts will be needed to help address these. $35 million budget deficit due to Oracle Kerner electronic health record modernization program.
why it matters
McMorris Rodgers said Thursday that she “demanded” that VA Secretary Oracle Kerner stop the now-on-hold rollout to prevent cuts to staff or services at medical centers running the EHR, specifically allocated to two VA medical centers in Washington. By redirecting funds.
“Under no circumstances should a VA medical center face a reduction in staff or services as a result of budget shortfalls and failed EHRs,” McMorris Rodgers said in his letter.
Dr. Robert Fischer, the medical director of Mann-Grandstaff, sent an email to supervisors on May 9 reportedly stating that projected budget shortfalls would require the hospital to reduce its authorized staffing levels by more than 15% , which equates to a loss of 146. full-time positions, according to a report earlier this week spokesperson-review,
Strained medical centers said they relied on the private sector for limited specialized care, though Fischer’s email cited payroll as a contributing factor.
The report said the VA’s healthcare chief, Sheriff Elnahal, indicated during a press call last week that the department has already provided funding for the system’s impact.
McMorris stressed the EHR reduced care and now threatened facilities and asked the secretary to ensure that afflicted medical centers were adequately resourced.
“Mr. Secretary, can you commit to me and to every veteran in Eastern Washington that your department will update every item appropriated for the EHR to prevent reductions in staff or services at the Mann-Grandstaff and Jonathan M. Wainwright VA Medical Centers? Will use the available dollars?
big trend
Plagued by system outages, slowdowns and errors that put patients at risk, the beleaguered EHR affected operations at the five facilities that were the first to convert from Vista.
Recently, the VA renewed its Oracle Kerner EHR modernization contract with new terms, including a series of performance metrics, monetary credits to the agency if not met, and a five-year as opposed to a five-year term. One year terms will result.
“Overall, this is a very strong contract, and I hope it will help the VA ensure that Oracle Cerner gets this EHR program to work for Washington state providers and veterans,” said US Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and VA subcommittee and a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs said in a statement.
On the record
“There will be no further go-live deployments of the system during the VA’s announced EHR reset,” McMorris Rodgers said.
“So those funds should basically be tied to further life, those medical centers facing budget deficits, facing staff reductions and losing operations as a direct result of the EHR.” Struggling.”
Andrea Fox is a senior editor for Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.
