Robert McDonald

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VA and VistA: Can they be fixed?

Aisha Chowdhry | FCW | July 27, 2016

pivoting away from VistA, the agency's homegrown electronic health record system, would be a major shift for the VA. Former VA CIO Roger Baker said VistA is the only EHR designed by doctors, not technologists. "That is the real power of VistA, and it remains the real power of VistA," he added. The system, rooted in 1970s code, is designed to assist doctors in their daily work. Providers at the various VA medical facilities nationwide customize it for their specific needs.

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VA CIO: Scheduling System Software Will Be Fielded By 2017, Not 2020

Bob Brewin | Nextgov.com | September 30, 2014

The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to field a new, commercial patient scheduling system by 2017, not 2020 as it said in contract documents released Sept. 17, and reported by Nextgov last week...

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VA Compromise Bill Would Bolster Telemedicine, Scheduling Software

Staff Writer | Government Health IT | July 30, 2014

The proposed $17 billion legislation that would overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs gives weight to two significant information technology initiatives long sought by its proponents.  The VA became the center of much attention this week as the bill, approved by House and Senate negotiators late Monday, was followed Tuesday by the Senate confirmation of Procter & Gamble CEO Robert McDonald as the new VA secretary...

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VA Details Sweeping Changes To Speed Care To Veterans

Gregg Zoroya | USA Today | August 25, 2014

The Department of Veterans Affairs promises sweeping changes — and ample contrition — in a prepared response to an inspector general's report due this week on a scandal over delayed health care for veterans.  The VA response — copies of which were obtained by USA TODAY — includes talking points that reveal at least one crucial finding by investigators: No deaths of veterans at a Phoenix VA hospital could be "conclusively" linked to delays in care at that facility...

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VA Investigation: No Proof That Falsified Data Led to Vets' Deaths

Staff | iHealthBeat | August 26, 2014

Claims that 40 veterans might have died because of delayed care and manipulated waiting lists at a Department of Veterans Affairs health center in Phoenix, Ariz., are unsubstantiated, according to an internal investigation, the New York Times reports. Read More »

VA Secretary McDonald Updates Employees on MyVA Reorganization Plans

Press Release | US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) | November 10, 2014

Veterans Affairs Secretary McDonald Updates Employees on MyVA Reorganization Plans

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VA Secretary Nominee Views IT As A Key To VA Reform

Bob Brewin | Nextgov.com | July 23, 2014

Robert McDonald, the former Procter & Gamble chief executive and President Barack Obama’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, has been strongly endorsed by all members of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs...

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VA Secretary Wants To Improve Digital Services For Vets

Bob Brewin | Nextgov.com | September 9, 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald said he plans to launch a new digital services team in the agency to help winnow down its numerous websites as part of a plan to improve the services VA delivers to veterans...

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VA Takes Next Step to Modernize Scheduling System

Press Release | US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) | August 25, 2014

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced plans to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new Medical Appointment Scheduling System; the next step in a series of actions VA has taken to replace its antiquated legacy scheduling system.  The new system will improve access to care for Veterans by providing medical schedulers with cutting-edge, management-based scheduling software.  The RFP will be made public by the end of September 2014; eligible vendors will have 30 days to respond from the day of issuance. Read More »

VA to Accept Proposals for New Scheduling System

Press Release | US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) | November 21, 2014

As part of The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) ongoing effort to improve Veterans’ access to healthcare, VA announced it has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new Medical Appointment Scheduling System (MASS)..  The new MASS technology will help improve access to care for Veterans by providing schedulers with state-of-the-art, management-based scheduling software.

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VA, DOD, NCI Partner for Precision Medicine Tumor Screening

Nathan Boroyan | Health IT Analytics | August 26, 2016

A new precision medicine partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will create the nation's first system that routinely screens tumors for gene and protein information in hopes of providing targeted, individualized therapies. The new program, the Applied Proteogenomics Organizational Learning and Outcomes consortium (APOLLO), is part of the Cancer Moonshot Initiative...

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VA’s CIO Stephen Warren on Serving Veterans

Dan Verton | FedScoop | August 18, 2014

In his first interview since a scandal involving secret waiting lists forced a change of leadership at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Stephen Warren, VA’s chief information officer, offers a candid assessment of the agency’s past and future technology plans. Read More »

Veterans Affairs Nominee Connected To Corporate Fraud

Amy Eddings | Ring of Fire | July 1, 2014

In order to fix a problem with the VA’s doctored documents and falsified data, President Obama has nominated the former CEO of a company which doctored documents and falsified data. If Obama wants to do right by the veterans who depend on the VA for their health care, gambling on leaders from corrupt corporate America could cause more problems than the VA is currently dealing with.

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VISTA Expo 2014 Moves to DC

Press Release | VistA Expertise Network, OSEHRA | July 24, 2014

The VISTA Expertise Network is joining forces with the Open Source Electronic Health Record Alliance (OSEHRA) to collaborate in a special strategic meeting regarding the future of VISTA...This special session, entitled Future VISTA: A Technical Town Hall, will be chaired by Rick Marshall, the Network’s executive director. It will be held on the first day of the 2014 OSEHRA Open Source Summit, September 3–5 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, just outside of Washington, D.C. Read More »

Will Va Secretary McDonald Go Back To P&G For His CIO?

Bob Brewin | NextGov | August 1, 2014

Robert McDonald, the former Procter & Gamble CEO and secretary of Veterans Affairs since Wednesday afternoon, may enlist Filippo Passerini, the P&G chief information officer, as VA CIO, according to medium-strength signals I’ve picked up. The VA CIO slot has been empty since February 2013, when Roger Baker resigned. Read More »