Posted on Oct 11, 2016
Launch of new military health records system delayed until early 2017
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Defense officials are delaying the initial rollout of a new multibillion-dollar electronic health record system until early 2017, but insist the shift won’t hurt plans to field it throughout the military within six years or to share information with the Department of Veterans Affairs now.
The new MHS GENESIS system -- a $4.3 billion upgrade to the military’s current records system -- was scheduled to be launched at two military bases this December.
Instead, program officials announced Tuesday that it will be launched at a single base -- Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington -- in February, with several other locations to follow next June. They blamed the delay on compatibility and technical issues that emerged during early testing.
“The time we are investing in the program now will help us ensure success in the future, providing the best possible user experience to our beneficiaries and health care providers from day one,” said Stacy Cummings, program executive officer for Defense Healthcare Management Systems.
She said that the multiyear deployment schedule for the new health record system allows some flexibility in individual site launches and benchmarks without jeopardizing the overall goal of militarywide use of the system in 2022. She also said the delay will not change the price tag of the new system.
Officials did not characterize the delay as a setback, but instead part of the expected process in putting a new system in place.
Defense officials are delaying the initial rollout of a new multibillion-dollar electronic health record system until early 2017, but insist the shift won’t hurt plans to field it throughout the military within six years or to share information with the Department of Veterans Affairs now.
The new MHS GENESIS system -- a $4.3 billion upgrade to the military’s current records system -- was scheduled to be launched at two military bases this December.
Instead, program officials announced Tuesday that it will be launched at a single base -- Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington -- in February, with several other locations to follow next June. They blamed the delay on compatibility and technical issues that emerged during early testing.
“The time we are investing in the program now will help us ensure success in the future, providing the best possible user experience to our beneficiaries and health care providers from day one,” said Stacy Cummings, program executive officer for Defense Healthcare Management Systems.
She said that the multiyear deployment schedule for the new health record system allows some flexibility in individual site launches and benchmarks without jeopardizing the overall goal of militarywide use of the system in 2022. She also said the delay will not change the price tag of the new system.
Officials did not characterize the delay as a setback, but instead part of the expected process in putting a new system in place.
Whether Congress sees it that way remains to be seen. Lawmakers have been critical of the Defense Department and VA for past failures to develop a shared electronic health records system, leading to continuity of care problems for troops as they transition from active-duty to veteran status.
President Barack Obama in 2009 promised a better, more interoperable system for both departments, but results thus far have been slow.
Cummings said that officials from both departments certified earlier this year that they have met congressional requirements for shared systems and information mandated by the end of this year, and will be able to better coordinate health records in coming years as the new MHS GENESIS system is implemented.
The new MHS GENESIS system -- a $4.3 billion upgrade to the military’s current records system -- was scheduled to be launched at two military bases this December.
Instead, program officials announced Tuesday that it will be launched at a single base -- Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington -- in February, with several other locations to follow next June. They blamed the delay on compatibility and technical issues that emerged during early testing.
“The time we are investing in the program now will help us ensure success in the future, providing the best possible user experience to our beneficiaries and health care providers from day one,” said Stacy Cummings, program executive officer for Defense Healthcare Management Systems.
She said that the multiyear deployment schedule for the new health record system allows some flexibility in individual site launches and benchmarks without jeopardizing the overall goal of militarywide use of the system in 2022. She also said the delay will not change the price tag of the new system.
Officials did not characterize the delay as a setback, but instead part of the expected process in putting a new system in place.
Defense officials are delaying the initial rollout of a new multibillion-dollar electronic health record system until early 2017, but insist the shift won’t hurt plans to field it throughout the military within six years or to share information with the Department of Veterans Affairs now.
The new MHS GENESIS system -- a $4.3 billion upgrade to the military’s current records system -- was scheduled to be launched at two military bases this December.
Instead, program officials announced Tuesday that it will be launched at a single base -- Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington -- in February, with several other locations to follow next June. They blamed the delay on compatibility and technical issues that emerged during early testing.
“The time we are investing in the program now will help us ensure success in the future, providing the best possible user experience to our beneficiaries and health care providers from day one,” said Stacy Cummings, program executive officer for Defense Healthcare Management Systems.
She said that the multiyear deployment schedule for the new health record system allows some flexibility in individual site launches and benchmarks without jeopardizing the overall goal of militarywide use of the system in 2022. She also said the delay will not change the price tag of the new system.
Officials did not characterize the delay as a setback, but instead part of the expected process in putting a new system in place.
Whether Congress sees it that way remains to be seen. Lawmakers have been critical of the Defense Department and VA for past failures to develop a shared electronic health records system, leading to continuity of care problems for troops as they transition from active-duty to veteran status.
President Barack Obama in 2009 promised a better, more interoperable system for both departments, but results thus far have been slow.
Cummings said that officials from both departments certified earlier this year that they have met congressional requirements for shared systems and information mandated by the end of this year, and will be able to better coordinate health records in coming years as the new MHS GENESIS system is implemented.
Launch of new military health records system delayed until early 2017
Posted from militarytimes.com
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I hope the new DoD MHS GENESIS electronic-health-record system will be rolled out effectively and efficiently SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL. I hope it will be significantly better than the disastrous Obamacare system roll-out has been. That highest-priority system supposedly had the brightest minds working on designing and developing it.
The sheer magnitude of the cost of the $4.3 billion upgrade is staggering. I am thankful that DoD is staggering the roll-out of the system base by base. I had to chuckle when I read "the delay will not change the price tag of the new system."
Since service members get reassigned part of the proof of this pudding will be how well the airmen who are transferred from Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington are covered.
The sheer magnitude of the cost of the $4.3 billion upgrade is staggering. I am thankful that DoD is staggering the roll-out of the system base by base. I had to chuckle when I read "the delay will not change the price tag of the new system."
Since service members get reassigned part of the proof of this pudding will be how well the airmen who are transferred from Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington are covered.
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Like anything not quite as smooth as was hoped but a step forward. Heart of Obamacare is this capability and definitely a local boom for business with Cerner which has replaced Sprint as the big local employer. When Cerner got the contract for the UK Electronic Medical Records it put them on the Map and this just cements it.
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