Correction: Aug. 14, 2020 – This article was updated to indicate August 2020 for CSS go-live. The article had previously indicated October 2020.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization (OEHRM) is moving forward with the launch of the Centralized Scheduling Solution (CSS), a new patient-appointment management tool that will make medical visits more efficient for health care providers and Veterans. The scheduling tool is expected to go live at the Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus, Ohio, in August 2020.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, VA opted to shift focus from the launch of its new electronic health record (EHR) at Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington, to the implementation of CSS, allowing VA staff in the Pacific Northwest to prioritize Veteran care and clinical operations. As an outpatient clinic, the Columbus medical facility and its CSS deployment activities are less affected by COVID-19 restrictions.
Due to COVID-19, OEHRM has maintained a nonintrusive posture since early April, but has continued to advance its mission through virtual meetings and activities, keeping the health and safety of patients and clinicians as its top priority.
VA is working closely with its contractor, Cerner Corp.; the Department of Defense; the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Program Office; and other key partners to analyze the effects of COVID-19 on the overall EHR effort.
For more information, please see the following resources:
- VA’s Public Health response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- What Veterans need to know about coronavirus
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