VA health record system back on track with Michigan deployments

WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs on Saturday deployed the new Federal Electronic Health Record system at four hospitals in Michigan - the first deployment in years after the Biden Administration paused the rollout of this important technology in 2023.

The Federal EHR went live April 11 at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, VA Battle Creek Medical Center, VA Detroit Healthcare System, and the VA Saginaw Healthcare System. This is the first wave of 13 planned deployments in 2026 under VA's accelerated schedule, which is aimed at fulfilling the promise of a more connected, efficient and patient-centered experience across all VA facilities.

With this launch, Veterans across Michigan can now benefit from:

• The seamless, hassle-free transfer of military health records among VA, Department of War and other federal partners
• The integration of health information from private sector facilities into VA's care for Veterans
• Medical appointments in which VA doctors and nurses spend more time with patients and less time struggling with outdated technology
• Less time undergoing duplicative tests because prior test results can't be found
• An increased ability of VA facilities to share best medical practices with each other
• Improved continuity of care when Veterans transfer among facilities or need emergency care at facilities they've never visited

The Biden Administration put the EHR project on hold after it encountered problems with its early rollout. But the Trump Administration got the project back on track by:

• Fixing hundreds of problems related to the initial rollout of the EHR system at the six original VA sites. Some of these related to efforts by local VA facilities to customize the system, which only complicated the process. Saturday's rollout focuses on a standardized system that will put all VA facilities on the same page and remove the complexities that caused delays.
• Eliminating the bureaucracy that was holding the project back. Under the Biden Administration, decisions related to EHR modernization were left to several councils that fought among themselves and held up key decisions. VA replaced that unwieldy system with a single council that answers to top VA leaders, increasing accountability and making it easier to find and implement common sense decisions.
• Getting local facilities more involved. As VA's lead official on the EHR rollout, VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence has visited all 13 deployment sites this year and has engaged directly with facility leaders at each location to answer questions and make sure these sites are ready to go.
• Hiring more people to ensure the rollout goes smoothly. VA has already hired dozens of staff to help with the rollout in Michigan and other locations and is in the process of hiring a total of 400 people.

Under VA's accelerated schedule, the following additional EHR deployments will take place this year:

June 2026:

• Chillicothe VA Medical Center (Chillicothe, OH)
• Cincinnati VAMC (Cincinnati, OH)
• Cincinnati VAMC-Fort Thomas (Fort Thomas, KY)
• Dayton VAMC (Dayton, OH)

August 2026:

Fort Wayne VAMC (Fort Wayne, IN)

• Marion VAMC (Marion, IN)
• Richard L. Roudebush VAMC (Indianapolis, IN)

October 2026:

• Alaska VA Healthcare System (Anchorage, AK)
• Louis Stokes Cleveland VAMC (Cleveland, OH)

"These first EHR deployments in 2026 represent real progress toward a unified electronic health record that strengthens care delivery for our patients and providers," said VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence, Ph.D. "With our Michigan sites now live, we are building strong momentum as we prepare for the next wave of implementation."

For more information about the EHRM program and the Federal EHR, visit https://digital.va.gov/ehr-modernization.