Veterans Affairs Information Technology: Management Attention Needed to Improve Critical System Modernizations, Consolidate Data Centers, and Retire Legacy Systems

The use of IT is crucial to helping VA effectively serve the nations veterans, and each year, the department spends over $4 billion on IT. However, over many years, VA has had difficulty managing its information systems, raising questions about the effectiveness of its operations and its ability to deliver intended outcomes needed to help advance the departments mission. GAO has previously reported on a number of the departments IT initiatives. This statement summarizes results from key GAO reports related to increasing electronic health record interoperability between VA and DOD; system challenges that have contributed to GAOs designation of VA health care as a high-risk area; and VAs development of its system for processing disability benefits, data center consolidation, and legacy systems. GAO has made numerous recommendations to VA to improve the modernization of its IT systems. For example, GAO has recommended that VA develop goals and metrics for determining the extent to which its modernized electronic health record system is achieving interoperability with DODs; address challenges associated with modernizing its scheduling system; address shortcomings with VBMS planning and implementation; take actions to improve progress in data center optimization; and modernize or replace obsolete legacy IT systems. VA agreed with these recommendations and said it has begun taking actions to implement them.