Damning VA Inspector General Report Confirms Concerns Rep. Schrier Raised About Mann-Grandstaff Health System Rollout Last Year
Wenatchee CBOC is a satellite clinic of Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center
ISSAQUAH, WA – Today, after the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released their report on the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system rollout at Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) vowed to continue to hold the VA accountable to ensure Veterans are receiving the quality care they deserve. The OIG is an internal office tasked with investigations and inspections of VA programs and services.
The Mann-Grandstaff VA hospital was the first VA hospital in the country selected to use a new Cerner EHR system, that many expected would be implemented in VA hospitals all over the country. Rep. Schrier, in her years as a doctor, used Cerner systems, and broadly supports the use of EHRs to streamline and improve patient care. But there were glitches and changes with this specific Cerner health record system that didn’t integrate well with the VA’s and Department of Defense’s existing systems.
The OIG report found this to be the case. In their report they say, “…following go-live, facility staff utilized workarounds to mitigate the post go-live metrics gap. Facility staff shared with the OIG that the workarounds created a ‘tremendous’ increase in additional workload, at times requiring numerous hours or days to prepare just one metrics report.”
The OIG’s report concludes that, “… despite the concerted efforts of facility staff to use workarounds to manage gaps in the new EHR’s metrics, deficits in new EHR metrics may negatively affect organizational performance, quality and patient safety, and access to care.”
“The failure of the rollout at Mann-Grandstaff and the subsequent effects on care at the VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Wenatchee were brought to my attention last year after Veterans in North Central Washington weren’t able to receive the care they needed,” said Rep. Schrier. “The OIG’s report is damning, and unfortunately not surprising to those of us who have been following this for months.”
Last November Rep. Schrier participated in a Veterans Affairs Committee hearing with VA Deputy Secretary Donald Remy. At the hearing, Rep. Schrier highlighted that Veterans in the 8th District have been experiencing unacceptable delays in care and specialist referrals, inability to schedule appointments online, and impossible wait times on the phone. Rep. Schrier also visited the CBOC last November and spoke with staff. Conversations with staff led Rep. Schrier to send a letter to the VA with concerns about what she heard.
In the letter Rep. Schrier said, “The Cerner records system is decreasing productivity among clinic staff and resulting in widespread burnout, which of course impacts patients as well. Iurge you to investigate [these] failings in Wenatchee, so Veterans in North Central Washington can consistently rely on the CBOC to receive timely care.”
Rep. Schrier concluded, “Last November I told the VA Deputy Secretary that based on what I was hearing from Veterans in the 8th District, I was very concerned about the rollout and transition to this electronic health system, and how it might affect patient care. This report confirms my concerns. It is unacceptable and the VA must do better. I will make sure they do.”