U.S. Coast Guard Terminated Contract with Epic for EHR Implementation

The U.S. Coast Guard has discontinued an Integrated Health Information System (IHiS) implementation project, which is an expansion of an electronic health record (EHR) implementation project as part of a contract awarded to Verona, Wis.-based Epic Systems in 2010, a USCG representative said. The Coast Guard is pursuing an alternative EHR system, and, in the interim, Coast Guard physicians are continuing to use paper-based records, "without interruption of service to members and dependents," the USCG spokesperson, Alana Ingram, public affairs officer, said...

Ingram stated, "In 2010, the Coast Guard began pursuing a commercial off the shelf (COTS) product for electronic health records (EHR). Over time, the EHR project expanded into a Service-wide Health, Safety, and Worklife (HSWL) IT re-engineering project known as the Integrated Health Information System (IHiS). This expansion of scope increased the cost and technical complexity of the project."

Ingram further stated, "In 2015 the Coast Guard determined there were significant risks associated with continuing the IHiS project and decided not to exercise further contract options. The decision was driven by concerns about the project's ability to deliver a viable product in a reasonable period of time and at a reasonable cost. As a result of the analysis that led to the discontinuation of the project, various irregularities were uncovered, which are currently being reviewed. There is also an ongoing effort to review and closeout the relevant contract matters and determine the final status of any outstanding invoices, payments or potential claims by the Coast Guard."...