VA and VistA: Can They Be Fixed?

The Department of Veterans Affairs is rushing to make changes to its IT infrastructure and systems before the next administration enters the White House. And skeptical lawmakers, oversight bodies and outside experts are cautiously optimistic about the eventual outcomes. The key words, though, are "cautiously" and "eventual."

The agency continues to face accountability issues, and its sudden shifts on systems and oversight reveal a different story from what is usually told in the hearing rooms on Capitol Hill. In addition, about $4.2 billion appropriated for the VA's Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) is at stake. To judge by the tone on Capitol Hill, lawmakers' patience is wearing thin.

"Whether it's funding or staffing, Congress has given VA nearly everything it has asked for to improve its information technology systems and infrastructure," Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, told FCW. "For its part, VA and the Obama administration have time and again failed to deliver meaningful results"...