Editor’s note: Following is one in an ongoing series of profiles of the largest California state government agencies.
The California Department of Veterans Affairs, or CalVet, has a budget of $391 million from the General Fund for the 2017-18 fiscal year. Approximately $14 million of this has been allocated to IT, according to the department.
CalVet recently completed automated pharmaceutical dispensing machines within six of its eight residential facilities in the state, according to CIO Lisa Senitte. It was fully implemented in June 2017, Senitte said, and the hardware was built by Talyst and interfaced with Framework LTC software. The project was developed over five years.
“The Framework ECM allows us to arrange a workflow amongst the pharmacies,” she said, referring to the Enterprise Content Management system.
Cybersecurity is also a major concern for the department, Senitte said, and it recently concluded an audit by the California Department of Technology (CDT). CalVet was one of the first candidates for the CDT’s “assertive/aggressive” auditing, she said. “We were one of the first agencies they came to and pinpointed where we could improve.” One of the CDT recommendations, Senitte said, was to replace CalVet electronic health records.
“It’s important because we were a little behind, and we’ve had great interest and support from vendors,” she said. “Market research has shown us that software solutions have expanded and grown dramatically, and we’re very excited about what our next steps will bring us.”
CalVet was in the news in the last few weeks as the beneficiary of newly signed state legislation designed to help vets with job placement and better access to affordable housing.
Secretary — Vito Imbasciani, MD
Contact info: Vito.Imbasciani@calvet.ca.gov
Chief Information Officer — Lisa Senitte
Contact info: Lisa.Senitte@calvet.ca.gov
