Wisconsin Reps Try to Derail VA/Defense Open Source Health Records System

In a Feb 7 letter, the lawmakers asked top executives of the two departments if the benefits of a commercial system had received "appropriate consideration" in the modernization and integration of their electronic health records.

"Some experts believe that commercial EHRs show significant potential to provide a state-of-the-art replacement quickly and at a reasonable cost," wrote Wisconsin's two senators, Democrat Herb Kohl and Republican Ron Johnson, Republican representative Paul Ryan and Democratic representatives Ron Kind and Tammy Baldwin, whose district includes Verona, where Epic has its headquarters.
The letter added that single-vendor EHRs help protect patient safety by using one consolidated database. A commercial approach also could cut development and installation time, said the letter, which was addressed to Roger Baker, VA chief information officer, and George Peach Taylor of Defense.