Gates, Shinseki Detail Joint Health Record Management and Development Plans

The top officials at the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments approved a management structure for development of a joint electronic health record, and confirmed plans to use commercial software for the project "wherever possible and cost effective."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki detailed plans for the joint health record in a May 2 memo obtained by Nextgov, which also endorsed VA plans to use an open source model for development.

The memo said VA's plan to use open source software is "consistent with development of a single common platform" and added Defense will "actively participate" in VA procurement to select a custodial agent. That agent will manage a code repository used to update health record software.

Gates and Shinseki agreed to establish a high-level advisory board, chaired by Elizabeth McGrath, Defense deputy chief management officer, and Roger Baker, VA's chief information officer, to ensure program execution and oversight.