DoD Has Earned EHR Oversight

Oversight is cumbersome and time-consuming. It may sap resources and make project management paranoid and overly-cautious.

But when it comes to attempts to make a joint electronic health record between the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, Defense lacks much standing to argue that House-proposed oversight isn't warranted – as DoD acquisition czar Frank Kendall did before a joint hearing of the House Appropriations, Armed Services, and Veterans Affairs committees on July 10.

"I am concerned that language in the House FY14 NDAA and in the House FY14 MilCon and Veterans Appropriations Act may overly restrict both VA and DoD's options going forward as well as impose significant oversight burdens on the program," said Kendall, whose official title is undersecretary for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.