The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched a training program to support its electronic health record (EHR) modernization effort, and its trainees are starting to work on EHR modernization implementation already, according to a VA press release today.
The program is called the VA Innovative Technology Advancement Lab (VITAL), a 12-18-month training series that “develops both the technical and supporting change management skills necessary to drive greater efficiency and effectiveness in all aspect of Veteran health care,” and will help VA implement it’s the interoperable EHR solution VA contracted in May 2018, VA said.
“VA established VITAL to specifically train staff who can identify possible challenges and work across the entire VA organization to make improvements,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said. “VITAL is an important component in our larger training strategy, which will help ensure efficient and timely user adoption of the modernized EHR system.”
As of Sept. 12, VITAL has had 76 of its trainees go on to start projects within the VA regarding its EHR and healthcare technological challenges. VA added that it has identified many of its trainees as frontline and clinical staff at its facilities who work with the agency’s EHR, which will “ensure smooth EHR modernization implementation, enhance functionality, and support continuous performance improvement.”