**GAO-08-805**                      Published: Jun 30, 2008. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), through its Veterans Health Administration (VHA), provides health care for more than 5 million veterans each year. In 2001, VHA began an initiative, HealtheVet, to modernize its current medical information system. GAO's objectives were to determine the status of the modernization, VA's overall plan for completing it, and how VA is providing oversight to ensure the success of the initiative. To conduct this review, GAO analyzed project documentation and interviewed officials responsible for the development and implementation of the new system.

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## Recommendations for Executive Action

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## Topics

Veterans

Cost analysisDatabasesInformation resources managementInformation technologyMedical information systemsMedical recordsPerformance managementProgram evaluationProgram managementSchedule slippagesSoftwareSoftware specificationsSoftware verification and validationStrategic information systems planningStrategic planningSystem softwareSystems analysisSystems conversionsSystems development life cycleSystems integrationTechnologyVeterans benefitsCost estimates