A corporate internal e-mail mentions a relationship with the VA official looking into failure of the firm's software.
By PAUL DE LA GARZA
Published August 4, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - The Department of Veterans Affairs demanded Tuesday that the contractor behind the computer debacle at Bay Pines VA Medical Center "correct the record" about its relationship with a senior VA executive.
In an internal e-mail obtained by the St. Petersburg Times, BearingPoint outlined a set of "talking points to use with our clients" about the $472-million computer system at Bay Pines, the target of multiple federal inquiries.
Last week, VA Secretary Anthony Principi pulled the plug on the system because it didn't work.
Principi tapped Robert McFarland, assistant VA secretary for information and technology, to help him decide what to do next.
In the e-mail dated July 28, BearingPoint executive Richard Roberts pointed out the "strong relationship" between the company and McFarland. He also said "it is our understanding that we will be involved in the review process."
In a rare public clash with BearingPoint, Principi spokeswoman Cynthia Church said she had no idea what the company was talking about.
She said McFarland had no relationship with BearingPoint. "Clearly, it is inaccurate and we look to BearingPoint to correct the record," she said.
Church also said BearingPoint would have no role in the VA review of the trial computer, known as the Core Financial and Logistics System, or CoreFLS, which was developed to track and control finances, vendor payouts and supply inventories.
Church said Principi had asked McFarland to spearhead the review "to provide him with independent assessments with respect to next steps."
BearingPoint spokesman John Schneidawind declined comment.
After Principi announced his decision to scrap the system at Bay Pines, House Appropriations Chairman C.W. Bill Young, R-Largo, said the future of the program was questionable. He said Congress planned to scale back funding.
In the e-mail, however, Roberts insisted that CoreFLS was not dead. He pointed out that BearingPoint "is under contract to support the program through October 31."
He also said the VA manager in charge of CoreFLS "is pleased with our team and the support we are providing to the program."
Roberts warned BearingPoint managers against raiding the CoreFLS project team for other assignments while the project is alive.
"While the intent may be genuine, we must stop this immediately," he wrote. "It is disruptive to the team and may jeopardize our ultimate success."
The VA had planned to roll out CoreFLS nationwide last February.
Since the computer was installed at Bay Pines last October, software glitches and inadequate training have prompted surgery delays. Hospital staff also say they can't keep track of expenditures.
