The Honorable VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence, Ph.D., appeared on VA’s internal program, the weekly “Federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) Update” on Dec. 9. to discuss VA’s 2025 and accomplishments and goals for 2026.
Lawrence discussed where he sees momentum in the Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program as we approach year end, the importance of his visits to the deployment sites, why having unique site themes matters, and more.
When discussing program progress, Lawrence emphasized that the technology of the system has continued to improve through consistent system updates. Throughout the interview, he spoke about his ongoing site visits and the importance of a “boots on the ground” approach, noting that he has personally observed a shift in sentiment about the new Federal Electronic Health Record (EHR).
“When I first would go out to the sites,” he said, “there was a sense of, ‘Oh, there’s an interesting thing happening, but I don’t really know much about it.’ Now, as I go through the second round of site visits, folks are energized and engaged, and quite frankly, it’s a real compliment to our comms and engagement teams.
“I think there was always a lot of information,” he added. “Now we’ve done a much better job of making it relevant and easier for folks to access and understand.”
Lawrence ended his interview by asking end users to remain focused on being “deeply involved” in this transformation project, which he believes will “significantly change” VA’s ability to provide world-class care to Veterans.
To learn more, watch the full interview.
The Federal EHR Update program keeps VA stakeholders informed about the progress and developments of high-visibility projects related to the EHRM initiative. For more information and resources, visit the EHRM website.
