The Department of Defense's Cerner electronic health record system, known as MHS Genesis, has been deployed at 100 locations across Texas.

The latest implementation was the system's largest wave deployment to date, reaching an additional 19,000 clinicians and providers. It is also now operational in the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the Defense Department. 

"It is a great honor knowing the system will enable clinicians and providers to continue delivering advanced care to several thousand trauma and burn patients in Central San Antonio," said Liz Porter, Leidos Health Group president.   

WHY IT MATTERS  

Leidos Health Group, along with Cerner, Accenture, Henry Schein One and approximately 30 other businesses, compose the Leidos Partnership for Defense Health responsible for developing the system.  

LDPH has also been providing technical expertise and program management to the Program Executive Office Defense Healthcare Management Systems – which was chartered to modernize an EHR system for service members, veterans and their families – since 2015.

According to Leidos, the MHS Genesis system is now about 38% deployed, with 85,000 total active users at more than 1,300 locations.

The system is being deployed via 23 waves across the country and overseas, with each wave targeting an average of three hospitals and numerous physical locations. 

Leidos expects full deployment by the end of 2023.  

THE LARGER TREND  

The rollout of MHS Genesis stands in interesting contrast to that of the Veterans' Administration's own EHR modernization efforts.

While MHS Genesis certainly hasn't been without hiccups, including infrastructure requirements and the COVID-19 pandemic, it hasn't faced the massive public setbacks that the VA's EHR project has encountered.

Just this month, the agency announced that it would delay its go-live at an Ohio facility due to staff shortages.

ON THE RECORD  

"The program has continued to operate both on schedule and on budget, despite facing unforeseen challenges due to the COVID-19 Pandemic," said Holly Joers, program executive officer for DHMS, in a statement.   

"We are extremely proud of the team's continued commitment to the mission and ability to react and respond to these real-world events," she continued.

Kat Jercich is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Twitter: @kjercich
Email: kjercich@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.