As the VA has been leaning on its VA Choice Program, which extends covered services for veterans as a stop-gap solution for its wait-time issues, interoperability must also be possible between those private providers. The goal is to enable access and data sharing, along with a security framework to support end-to-end healthcare clinical and business operations. “The Contractor is required to collaborate with VA affiliates, community partners, EHR providers, healthcare providers and vendors to advance seamless care throughout the healthcare provider market,” according to the work statement. Not only is Cerner expected to provide a seamless platform between DoD and VA, interoperability must be far better than the industry standard. The major components associated with a SPaT application are roadside equipment (RSE) and onboard equipment (OBE). In December, the VA released its report on the functional requirements expected from Cerner. Interoperability is crucial to Shulkin’s IT modernization plan. The meeting between VA and Cerner last month was tense, Shulkin told Politico: “To say it wasn't a good meeting would be an understatement.' However, Shulkin has pushed back the expected fall deadline, as Cerner’s definition of interoperability was too limited, covering only documents called C-CDAs, or Consolidated Clinical Document Architecture. While the road has been bumpy – EHR developer CliniComp has sued the government, among other delays – Shulkin has been committed to its choice in selecting Cerner for the replacement. The contract is estimated at about $10 billion or more. VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD, selected Cerner in a no-bid contract in June to replace the agency’s legacy VistA EHR as a way to align data between the VA and the Department of Defense, which already runs on Cerner. Department of Veterans Affairs’ EHR contract with Cerner was set to be signed this fall, but a new report from Politico found that it’s been held up over disagreements between executives on the definition of interoperability.

Spat definition