CalVet Names Chief IT Project Leader Chavez to CIO Role

The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) has named agency executive Carlos Chavez its new chief information officer.

Chavez has been with CalVet since August 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile, joining the department as chief of IT acquisitions and projects. In February 2022, he was named chief project director, overseeing Calvet’s electronic health records (EHR) initiative. He told Industry Insider — California that CalVet’s EHR project is the one he’s most proud of during his tenure with the department.

“This has been an ongoing project for the last five years that will replace CalVet’s outdated EHR system and business processes,” Chavez told Industry Insider in a one-on-one interview in September 2022. “It will ensure uniformity, accountability and reliability across all Veterans Homes, while improving the levels of care provided to California veterans. Our biggest achievement thus far is the successful implementation and rollout of OrderConnect. This is a module within our new EHR system that allows CalVet pharmacies to accept electronic prescriptions.”

In his previous and current roles, Chavez was and is involved in crafting the department’s strategic plan. Under the newly enacted state budget for FY 2023-24, CalVet’s expenditures reflect an increase in overall staffing, from 3,560 in FY 2022-23 to 3,600 (with rounding) in the current fiscal cycle. The department’s budget was reduced from $724.9 million to $663.6 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year.

The Information Services Division encompasses about 100 employees working in the Sacramento headquarters, Veterans Homes, Veterans Services district offices and cemeteries.

Chavez was asked in the 2022 interview what he would change about IT procurement. His reply: “I would change the amount of time required to complete the procurement. I would allow for more time to do analysis and gather a bigger picture of all impacts a new change will have.”

Chavez’s predecessor as information chief for CalVet is Isaiah Mall, who was promoted to deputy secretary of administration services in January by Gov. Gavin Newsom.