VA Clinical Contact Center (CCC) concerns about recent changes to VA Health Connect documentation and workflow systems. These systems rely on a contractor-supported CRM platform and are introducing more structured, partially automated note-taking processes (including SOAPIE-style templates).
Staff concerns include: reduced ability to document clinical narrative detail, auto-populated fields that may introduce inaccuracies, system instability (including crashes during live documentation), and unclear clinical governance around approval of these changes. Non-clinical staff implementing changes to a CLINICAL framework work with no medical background or education!
We are also concerned about transparency regarding who is responsible for approving these workflow changes and what formal risk assessment was completed before rollout (none).From a clinical perspective, there is concern that these systems may not adequately reflect the realities of telehealth nursing assessments, where full patient observation is not always possible. even more concerning contractors such as Booz Allen Hamilton /BLACKROCK are involved in federal systems modernization efforts, including healthcare and CRM infrastructure support. Booz Allen has been known in the past, according to employee reports, to implement workforce reductions/layoffs, followed by expanding the use of AI and automation technologies in its federal contracting work.
The core issue is patient safety and the integrity of the medical record during rapid modernization of VA systems. Many frontline clinicians are asking for clearer oversight, validation of documentation workflows, and assurance that clinical decision-making is not being compromised by automation or rigid templating.
Veterans continue to report significant issues with VA phone systems, including long hold times, call routing difficulties, dropped calls, and communication breakdowns. Staff are increasingly concerned that ongoing modernization efforts involving more automated and AI-assisted call handling and triage systems may be contributing to further strain on access and reliability. These are serious issues affecting timely access to care and require close attention.
in a nutshell, the more they integrate AI the worse it gets…. SOS