The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) cited IT problems as an “ongoing obstacle” to the VA serving its mission in its semiannual report to Congress, publicly released May 30.
The report, which summarizes the actions OIG took during the first half of the fiscal year, flags IT and financial management at the department as areas of concern.
“The OIG has been monitoring the planning and forecasting challenges VA faces in implementing prodigious investments in systems, such as upgrading electronic health records; changes to benefits systems; and significant reforms to health care, particularly in the community,” the report said.
OIG cites previous reports on the mistakes in implementing the Forever GI Bill, lost opportunities on data center consolidation, and VA’s FISMA audit.
The report also notes that OIG will be keeping a close eye on upcoming technology implementation efforts as well.
“With implementation of the MISSION Act and the modernization of the electronic health record system, how veterans access and ultimately use VHA services may significantly change … OHI will monitor these efforts and evaluate the impact on care provided to veterans during the implementation phases and beyond,” the report said.