How the VA is wrestling with digital transformation amid an austere budget environment

Despite facing potential technology-related budget cuts that have raised bipartisan concerns in Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues to advance its technology initiatives. Charles Worthington, the VA’s Chief Technology and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, discussed these developments in an interview with FedScoop. He emphasized the agency’s ongoing efforts in targeted hiring for AI experts and maintaining its technology modernization programs, although he expressed a desire for greater capacity to expand these efforts.

Worthington also addressed challenges related to the fiscal year 2025 funding proposals, which threaten to impact the VA’s technology operations. The VA’s Office of Information and Technology is particularly under legislative scrutiny, facing issues such as a perceived lack of transparency in AI usage, insufficient sanctions for tech contractors, and ongoing critiques of its electronic health record modernization project with Oracle Cerner.

During the interview, Worthington elaborated on the VA’s strategies to navigate budget uncertainties, the status of its technology modernization endeavors, and its commitment to leveraging AI to enhance veteran services.

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