VA and Cerner reach agreement on EHR

After several months of delays, the Veterans Affairs Department and Cerner have reached an agreement for the VA's new electronic health record system.

The VA will officially switch to a Cerner EHR, according to a Cerner announcement late Thursday, putting it on the same software as the Defense Department.

"We are humbled and honored by the responsibility that comes with serving our nation's active duty military personnel, and now, its veterans," Cerner President Zane Burke posted on Twitter.

Cerner also tweeted that the EHR contract has been signed.

The VA announced nearly a year ago that it would switch to Cerner from its homegrown VistA system. But disagreements about interoperability and alleged meddling by President Donald Trump's unofficial advisers kept the contract in limbo for months.

The project will take about 10 years. Past estimates pegged it at $16 billion, but according to the VA, it's capped at $10 billion.