VA, DoD EHR Project: Security Game Plan

Outgoing VA CIO Baker Describes Strategy

Although the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense are taking a new approach to building their long-awaited integrated electronic health record system, many key components of the data security strategy for the project will remain the same, says Roger Baker, the VA's outgoing CIO.

The original approach called for building a new, consolidated EHR system from scratch. The new approach calls for building interoperability and real-time data exchange between existing VA and DoD systems (see: VA, DoD Accelerate Secure EHR Project).

Baker is stepping down as CIO on March 8 after four years on the job (see: VA CIO Roger Baker Resigning). On Feb. 27, he and other DoD and VA leaders testified before Congress to explain the revised EHR strategy. And in his final media briefing on Feb. 28, he offered more details, including insights into the security strategy...