VistA - The First Amputation

This is both a highly concerning but also highly provocative announcement given its implications. Which side of the sword you will feel as a result depends on your perspective.

Is there a VistA community that can respond?

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Selects Cerner Corp. Laboratory Technology

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nov. 6, 2007 — Cerner Corp. (NASDAQ: CERN) today announced a nine-year agreement for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to utilize Cerner Millennium® PathNet® laboratory information system in more than 150 hospitals and 800 clinics in the Veterans Health Administration system.

"Looking to increase patient safety in its clinical laboratories, the VA has made the decision to use the Cerner PathNet solution, embracing the new technology also chosen by the Department of Defense for its laboratories," said Mike Valentine, Cerner executive vice president. "This coordinated strategy will help both agencies to better serve all U.S. veterans."

The Millennium PathNet laboratory information system is a comprehensive, integrated technology that automates both the clinical and managerial sides of the laboratory, and it is the only system of its kind to do so. Patient safety increases when specimens are quickly processed, tested and classified. Faster answers mean faster decisions for doctors, nurses and families. The suite of PathNet solutions tracks specimens from collection through testing and storage, and it helps unify workflow through bar codes, robotics and instrument interfaces. In addition to streamlining workflow in the laboratory, PathNet can reduce turnaround times through automatic verification and reporting. The system simplifies the process of entering results, tracking repeat entries and corrections.

This will be the largest implementation of PathNet to date for Cerner. Coupled with the Department of Defense, another Cerner client, these federal implementations represent approximately five percent of all U.S. hospitals. Additionally, this implementation means that clinical laboratories for all service members, past and present, will be operating on the same laboratory information software.

"Like the rest of the healthcare industry, the VA is modernizing and expanding its informatics infrastructure. Cerner’s proven laboratory solution is a core component of that objective," said Gary Dickerson, Cerner’s director of federal programs. "Cerner is proud to work together with the VA to serve our nation’s veterans. It is our distinct honor to be able to provide technology that helps to deliver the healthcare and recovery of our servicemen and women."

The VA will install a broad set of PathNet laboratory solutions during the three-phase implementation program in an effort to streamline complex workflows, help eliminate errors and improve the quality and performance of laboratories. Additionally, the VA will employ Cerner’s Millennium Helix™ solution for molecular testing, a Human Leukocyte Antigen module for testing tissue compatibility, and robotic interfaces in its more advanced clinical laboratory settings.

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