The Commission on Care https://commissioncare.sties.usa.gov established by Congress under the “Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014”, has studied the Veterans Administration’s healthcare system to learn how the veterans’ healthcare system is meeting current and future needs.
The Commission issued a final report on June 30, 2016 to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The report calls not only for re-engineering and streamlining basic VA business processes but also for redesigning the veterans’ healthcare delivery system.
Under the Commission’s proposed recommendations, the VA would continue as the veterans’ provider for specialized behavioral healthcare, spinal cord injury care, prosthetics, and rehabilitative services.
To meet the needs of all veterans, the Commission proposes that the VA establish high-performing integrated health networks to include both VA and community-based providers who meet stringent VA credentialing requirements.
Chapter seven in the report specifically discusses IT systems and infrastructure. The Commission wants to see a single uniform integrated IT platform created to promote care continuity, cost savings, and provide consistent care delivery and business processes.
Chapter seven discusses how the VA’s antiquated clinical and administrative systems are currently unable to support the Commission’s vision for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) www.va.gov/health. Currently, there is no experienced senior healthcare IT leader focused on the strategic healthcare IT needs of veterans and VHA staff.
Since this is the case, the Commission wants to see the VHA establish a Senior Executive Service level position for the position of “VHA Care System CIO” that would report to the Chief of VHA Care System (CVCS) with secondary reporting responsibility to the VA CIO
Other recommended changes for IT systems and infrastructure at the VA are to:
- Standardize data elements in the current IT systems through the use of standard nomenclatures, terminologies, and code sets to promote the transition to a Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) EHR to support interoperability and to increase analytic capabilities
- Develop a robust cybersecurity plan for VHA IT infrastructure, in coordination with the VA CIO and Chief Information Security Office to address current systems and define the requirements for new systems
- Collaborate with the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT on national interoperability standards and implementation
- Limit VistA development and associated spending to only those upgrades required to keep VistA functioning until a new system is in place
- Provide a coordinated IT infrastructure for appointment scheduling, coding, billing, claims payment, third party collections and other core VHA business processes
- Collaborate with CMS and federal healthcare providers to develop a national unique patient identifier standard
- Integrate supply chain and financial systems with EHRs
- Streamline the current IT procurement processes with more options, such as the use of indefinite delivery indefinite quantity vehicles, along with blanket purchase agreements, and flexible contract structures to allow for the onboarding of emerging technologies
To download the report go to https://commissiononcare.sites.usa.gov.