Rep. McMorris-Rodgers: VA's EHR System is a Complete Failure

5th District Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers is doubling down on her calls to pull the plug on the Department of Veterans Affairs and Oracle Cerner's electronic health record (EHR) system.

Representative McMorris-Rodgers testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee today (9/14) in response to concerns with patient care, and rumors about staff and services being reduced at Spokane's Mann-Grandstaff and Walla Walla Medical Centers.

5th District Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers

“The Oracle Cerner electronic health record system has been a complete failure. It has created more problems than it’s solved," Representative McMorris-Rodgers said. “From the very beginning, veterans in Eastern Washington have been sounding the alarm about the issues with the EHR. Prescription errors, Dropped appointments. Lost referrals. Costly mistakes that directly harmed nearly 150 veterans."

Problems were detected in the 2020 rollout of the EHR system at the VA Medical Center in Spokane. Those problems led to reduced safety and access to services at the Medical Center's branch clinics.

“To make matters worse, this broken system has completely demoralized employees who were not adequately trained on the new system. Providers and support staff have struggled to overcome the software glitches and constant outages." McMorris-Rodgers said.

McMorris-Rodgers added that pulling the plug and returning to a system that works immediately is the best course of action. Until then, she says she's committed to making it work for veterans who have no other choice.