VA’s Implementation of the Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture Scheduling Enhancement Project Near Completion

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this audit to determine whether the Office of Information and Technology and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) effectively managed the implementation of VA’s Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) Scheduling Enhancement (VSE) project. VA has struggled for almost two decades to replace its cumbersome and outdated medical appointment scheduling system. VSE was launched in May 2014 and was intended to be an interim solution to VA’s medical appointment scheduling problem. The OIG found the VSE project management team did not effectively manage the project to ensure scheduling enhancements were adequately developed and met users’ needs. The audit team determined that the approved specifications were insufficient to ensure the scheduling enhancements would meet VHA’s needs. According to VHA’s information technology project manager, the Office of Information and Technology approved the release of a version of VSE in April 2017. However, the OIG audit team found delays in deployment persisted until the final contract modification for VSE ended in September 2017. VA has since decided to use a standalone scheduling component within the electronic health records system being developed under contract by the Cerner Corporation as a permanent solution. The first standalone scheduling component is planned for deployment in 2020, according to a December 2018 report to Congress. The OIG recommended the assistant secretary for Information and Technology enforce current required project management processes with improved oversight to ensure project planning requirements are adequately defined and supported before starting information technology projects.