A federal inspection of information security at the Department of Veterans Affairs health system in Spokane, Washington, last year found deficiencies across three areas – configuration management, vulnerability management and access controls – that could potentially put sensitive data at risk.
The veterans’ Spokane Healthcare System, which includes the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, initiated an action plan to address several recommendations to correct the weaknesses, said the VA Office of Inspector General report issued Wednesday. Some of those recommendations have already been implemented, the report said.
The Spokane system is one of six VA healthcare systems using a new federal electronic health record systems the department has been rolling out over the last few years as part of an EHR modernization initiative. The VA aims to roll out the new EHRs to 13 other healthcare systems in 2026. The Mann-Grandstaff Center provided care to about 27,000 patients in fiscal 2024, has more than 1,300 employees and had a budget of nearly $413 million in fiscal year 2025…