The project was initially approved in 2017 during the Trump administration to install the Cerner EHR, now branded as Oracle Cerner, at VA hospitals across the U.S. over a 10-year period. Since then, the medical record system has faced rollout challenges, and a report last week by the VA Inspector General’s office noted 149 cases of patient harm caused by the Oracle Cerner Millennium software at a hospital in Spokane, Wash.
The VA postponed deploying the system in Boise, Idaho-based hospitals earlier this week as a result.
Officials now estimate the project will take 30 years and could cost $51 billion, factoring in costs outside of the contract to establish protocols and train staff. The system will still cost just $16 billion per the contract.
