VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence told Federal News Network in an interview that sites already using the new EHR from Oracle-Cerner are “catching up” to pre-deployment productivity levels, and that some sites have already met that target.  Lawrence said the EHR is meeting uptime targets defined in its contract with the vendor, and that 10 of the past 12 months have been “incident free.”  VA is planning for its new EHR from Oracle-Cerner to go live at 13 sites in 2026 — starting with four sites in Michigan in April 2026. Later this year, the EHR is scheduled to go live at medical facilities in Ohio, Indiana and Alaska.

Early Results From CMMI’s Rapid Cycle Innovation Program

A Feb. 19 webinar offered early insights from participants in the CMS Innovation Center’s Rapid Cycle Innovation Program (RCIP), in which CMS is partnering with alternative payment model participants to administer rapid randomized controlled trials (RRCTs) that focus on real health outcomes.  Participants used real-time data to refine outreach strategies, significantly increasing early appointment scheduling among high-risk CKD patients.  The program emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and continuous learning, allowing teams to adapt workflows and scale promising interventions during the trial process.

CMS ACCESS Model Update: Payment Rates and Performance Targets Released for 2026–2027

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released detailed payment amounts, performance targets, and reporting requirements for the Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model, applicable to care periods beginning July 5 through December 31, 2027.  The guidance provides operational clarity on how the Medicare Part B payment model will function in practice, including how much participating organizations will be paid and how success will be measured.