The public focus of EHR modernization has been on configuring a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution that blends all the requirements that are unique to the VA with a system that is widely used in the commercial sector. But equally or even more importantly, the VA needs to continue to invest in, maintain, and upgrade its current EHR – the Veterans Health Information System Technology Architecture (VistA).

Today we discuss these insights which are from a recent Federal News Network guest article authored by David Whitmer, FACHE, vice president for federal operations at DSS Inc. David also discusses how no matter what the outcome of the COTS solution, VistA will remain the vital backbone of VA operations.



David Whitmer, FACHE, Vice President for Federal Operations at DSS Inc.

Mr. Whitmer is the Vice President, Federal Operations at DSS Inc., and is a board-certified healthcare executive with 30 years of public health experience at the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Health Administration, including 20 years in C-suite positions, and 10 years as member of the Senior Executive Service.

DSS Inc.
Document Storage Systems, Inc. (DSS) is a catalyst for health care innovation, keeping pace with evolving technologies as a solutions provider, systems integrator, and services contractor to the Department of Veterans Affairs. DSS is committed to assisting VA in its High Reliability Organization journey and delivering care quality for Veterans by meeting top initiatives, changing regulatory requirements, and implementing enhanced business transformation across VA enterprise.

Every day in the United States, thousands of legitimate prescriptions for the opioid class of pharmaceuticals are written to mitigate acute pain during post-operation recovery, chronic back and neck pain, and a host of other cases where patients experience moderate-to-severe discomfort. While many of these drugs provide pain relief, the potential for misuse and outright abuse due to their addictive nature is extremely high.

Since the 1990s, opioid abuse in the U.S. skyrocketed to the point that in 2017 the Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. This epidemic affects more than just individuals – families and communities, as well as the U.S. healthcare system at the federal, state, and local level, carry this burden emotionally and financially.

Solving this crisis can and should be supported by insights gained from the vast amounts of data available to healthcare providers and government agencies. The healthcare industry, in partnership with government agencies, must engage with a robust modern data management solution that can extract electronic health data in the form of controlled substance data, prescriber data, and patient data and transform it into meaningful, measurable, and actionable information. Today we talk with Rob Carey, the President of Cloudera Government Solutions on this topic.

Rob Carey, President of Cloudera Government Solutions

As a highly recognized executive, Rob Carey leads the public sector team at Cloudera Government Solutions during a time in government when data-centric projects and digital transformation is of the utmost importance. As former U.S. Navy CIO and Deputy DOD CIO, Carey uses his 30+ years of federal experience to apply what’s needed to meet the standards for the future of IT modernization in government. He supports customers across the federal civilian and defense sector as they continue to navigate data-driven challenges and work to meet key White House directives.

Cloudera Government Solutions

Government agencies are faced with a multitude of challenges, including aging legacy systems, fraud and abuse, and sophisticated cyberattacks. More than ever, they need a proven platform that can securely manage their data. Cloudera Government Solutions addresses these challenges by simplifying data acquisition and delivery – providing public sector leaders with the insights they need to make better and more timely decisions.
Cloudera Government Solutions partners with federal, state and local, and higher education institutions to support data security and governance mandates, modernize data architectures across any platform, and meet the zero-trust mandate related to data flow. With customers across 40 global governments, Cloudera can accelerate data movement and digital transformation to accomplish your mission.

Dr. Richard Stone, Retired Army Major General who served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the US Army discusses how we as a nation can provide better medical care to our veterans during the next medical crisis, he looks into this and more in his memoir, "Save Every Life You Can".

Dr. Richard Stone, Retired Army Major General who served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the US Army, currently a Specialist Executive at Deloitte

Dr. Richard Stone has served in a myriad of leadership positions over his more than 40 years as a medical doctor. He is a combat experienced veteran, having served in Afghanistan during an Army career that culminated in his service as the US Army Deputy Surgeon General. Dr Stone was called back to Federal service as the Executive in Charge and Acting Under Secretary of the Veterans Health Administration, serving for more than three years as the leader of America’s largest health care system through the most challenging health crisis in more than one hundred years.

Dr. Stone’s book "Save Every Life You Can: A Reflection on Leadership and Saving Lives during the COVID-19 Pandemic" is a reflection on leadership and saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. This memoir describes the extraordinary challenges the Department of Veterans Affairs faced and the personal stories of his team as they worked against the clock in a pandemic unique in more than 100 years. It also describes the principles of leadership that informed and guided Dr. Stone, and his thoughts on what we learned as a nation about health care delivery as we prepare for the next once-in-a-hundred-year crisis.