John Bartrum, who led the Veterans Health Administration’s rollout of electronic health record modernization, said he is leaving public service.

The agency’s efforts to reduce barriers to innovation, aligned with a 2025 OMB memo, may have introduced more vulnerabilities.

Lack of justification and limited software oversight caused over $67,000 in wrongful disability payments and medical costs, the watchdog found.

An OIG report found that the VA and Oracle Cerner neglected to ensure proper controls to prevent against and mitigate system issues.

VA modernization subcommittee members voiced concerns about the agency’s ability to address a backlog of claims, potential late bills and budgetary issues.

A platform meant to modernize digital services is now looking at $479 million in additional costs due to contracting renegotiations and additional challenges, the report finds.