Oracle Cerner bleeds jobs as Veterans Affairs project stalls

Oracle has launched a round of job cuts at its acquired Cerner health tech biz after one of its mega projects stalled. Reports suggest the majority of the layoff could be attributed to Cerner's difficulties in implementing systems for US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), an electronic health records project worth around $10 …

[Doctor Syntax]

I wonder how they plan to fix problems with fewer people to do the fixing.

Oh, I forgot. AI: the solution to all problems.

[David 132]

Never was there a more relevant XKCD.

[Bebu]

Bonkers...

The salient bit from the https://xkcd.com/1619 flow chart "check whether build environment is sane."

[druck]

A revolutionary new health management information system in the cloud

In October, he told computer conference attendees: "We're gonna bankrupt Western civilization..."

At that point Oracle compliance department left in to action and started an audit.

[Anonymous Coward]

How many veterans are there ?

If the bill just for the software to count them is $10Bn - isn't there a point at which you just get rid of the VA and give all veterans a $1M pension ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many veterans are there ?

Almost 20 million living veterans, so figure $500 per veteran (assuming US definition of Billion = 1,000 Million). Not much of a pension.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: How many veterans are there ?

VA does lifetime government health care for anybody who was in the military and their families, it's not just dealing with combat casualties.

Ironic really, the only people in the USA receiving communist government healthcare are the people who were defending us against communism

[awarre]

Re: How many veterans are there ?

Sorry,No.VA covers service related/caused injuries and disabilities for the veterans themselves.My cousin was in helicopter maintenance school in Vietnam era and hearing protection wasn't unknown just unenforced.So his hearing aids are covered.He was drafted and did his three years I believe it was.Retirees with at least 20 years of service can make use of Tricare For Life ,which is handled like health insurance .You go to whichever doctor or medical facility accepts it.They also now are eligible to enroll in Medicare at 65 same as everyone else.Previously they were ineligible to participate in Social Security /Medicare;the Army was going to take care of pension and healthcare for life.That was the promise at least.Minor children were covered till 18 for retirees ,later if living at home for active duty.I'm fuzzy on the details on that score.Spouses ,while married to veteran, also were to receive healthcare for life.That was changed retroactively ,divorced and un remarried ex spouses can now re enroll .

[M.V. Lipvig]

Re: How many veterans are there ?

Incorrect. The healthcare for life was part of the agreed upon, contracted compensation for the low pay and being sent anywhere in the world, at the drop of a hat, to be shot at. How do you consider that to br communism?

[James Anderson]

Award winning organisation.

Not Cerner but the Veterans Administration.

In 1995 they won a Smithsonian Award for the best medical software system.

One wonders why an organisation with a track record of writing first class software was buying an expensive and problematic software package.

They are the world expert in MUMPS possibly the best database ever combined with definitely the worst programming language.

[sad_loser]

Re: Award winning organisation.

The interesting thing here is that this is a closed source implementation trying to replace an open source system - VistA

After all the abuse that Cerner folk used to give MUMPs (which has a lot in common with NoSQL) it is more than a little ironic that Cerner have very publicly failed.

[Scene it all]

"Bankrupt Western Civilization"? Maybe Larry should look into how all the other developed countries provide better healthcare for less money per person than the US. It can't be just that they have better records systems. Even Cuba is better at it than the US.

[ecofeco]

Stalled?

Stalled you say? However could this have happened? It's a mystery!

But I see Oracle is at least a using the tried and true solution of downsizing the project team to increase efficiency! Why, I'll even bet it's all that deadwood from the acquired company!

Oh wait... that never works.

Do I need the /s tag? Asking for a friend on the wrong end of a few mergers.