February 10, 2017

Ranking Member Walz Addresses Information Technology Progress, Challenges At VA

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Today, Ranking Member Tim Walz (MN-1) and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs received testimony from leaders at the VA and GAO during an oversight hearing entitled, “Assessing the VA IT Landscape: Progress and Challenges.”

“In order to provide our nation’s 22 million veterans with the care and service they deserve, it is imperative that the VA’s IT infrastructure be fully modernized; this is why I believe a clear and comprehensive IT modernization strategy is necessary,” Rep. Walz said. “Since coming to Congress, I have felt strongly that a seamless transition from DOD to VA is vital to ensuring no veteran is left behind. We have made progress, but it has been too slow and we have much more work to do.”

The Committee examined major Information Technology (IT) modernization projects and programs underway at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and reviewed project histories, objectives, cost and schedule goals, as well as the choices that must be made going forward.

The Committee heard from:

  • Mr. David Powner, Director of Information Technology Management Issues at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
  • Mr. Rob C. Thomas, Acting Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Dr. Jennifer Lee, Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Policy and Services at the Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Mr. Brad Houston, Director of the VBA Office of Business Integration at the Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs

Democrats applauded the initiatives underway to improve the VA’s IT infrastructure, but raised concerns about lack of coordination with the Department of Defense, slow implementation on a new scheduling system and the detrimental impact of President Trump’s hiring freeze on IT progress. 

“The projects currently underway to modernize the VA’s IT infrastructure represent a shared commitment between Congress and the VA to bring the Department into the digital age, a feat that will significantly increase the Department’s capacity to deliver quality healthcare to veterans, drastically reduce VA patient wait times, and decrease the time it takes for claims to be processed; however, while the VA has made improvements, there is still much work needed to be done,” said Walz.

Last year, the VA’s IT appropriation budget was $4.133 billion. While there have been steady increases, most of the funds are consumed by maintaining decades old legacy systems, including the VA’s 40-year-old EHR and VistA systems. Some of these systems are so obsolete they have begun harming the VA’s mission, and have contributed to the GAO’s decision to place VHA on its High Risk List.

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