MMT Premium · Tuesday + Friday Intelligence Brief
Week of March 21, 2026
VA EHRM Michigan go-lives 30 days out; DHA voice dictation follow-on watch; HHS info blocking enforcement
Top 3 Signals This Week
Signal 1
VA EHRM Michigan go-lives now 30 days out — site readiness in final phase
The four Michigan VA medical centers (Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Detroit, Saginaw) are now 30 days from their April Federal EHR go-live. These are the first of 13 sites deploying in 2026. Dayton and Chillicothe (OH) follow in June, Indianapolis (IN) in August, and Cleveland (OH) and Anchorage (AK) in October. VA's accelerated deployment schedule targets full implementation across all 164 medical centers as early as 2031. Firms supporting EHR training, change management, and clinical workflow optimization should be engaged with VISN 10 site readiness teams now — not after go-live.
Signal 2
DHA voice dictation RFI closed — watch for follow-on solicitation
DHA's RFI for an enterprise voice dictation system (HT9427-26-RFI-702) closed February 3. The requirement covers clinical documentation across MTFs and sits under DHA OPMED. Market responses are now being evaluated. Firms with ambient clinical intelligence, speech-to-text, or clinical NLP capabilities should monitor SAM.gov for the follow-on solicitation, which could appear as early as Q3 FY2026. The transition from RFI to solicitation on this requirement will signal whether DHA is pursuing a competitive or sole-source path.
Signal 3
HHS information blocking enforcement ramps — penalties now active for providers
HHS Secretary Kennedy directed resources toward active information blocking enforcement in September 2025. Provider penalties have been in effect since July 2024, and OIG is now actively investigating claims. Health IT developers face fines up to $1M per violation. Federal health contractors should verify their interoperability posture before the next ONC compliance cycle. This affects anyone touching certified health IT in the VA or DHA ecosystem.
New Opportunities
Closed DHA Enterprise Voice Dictation System
HT9427-26-RFI-702 · DHA OPMED · RFI closed Feb 3
Watch for sol
Evaluating DHA Data Governance & Enterprise Data Catalog
HT001126RE011 · WOSB Set-Aside · ~$34M
Evaluating
SOL VA Health Care Delivery Solutions (HCDS) EHR
Industry Day planned Mar 31 in D.C.
Pre-sol
Awards & Status Changes
- VA EHRM: Nine additional sites confirmed for 2026 deployment. Dayton and Chillicothe (OH) slated for June. Indianapolis (IN) for August. Cleveland (OH) and Anchorage (AK) for October.
- DHA Data Governance (HT001126RE011): Proposals closed January 9. Currently in evaluation. ~$34M WOSB set-aside for enterprise data catalog and metadata management under VAULTIS framework.
- ONC HTI-5 Proposed Rule: Comment period closed February 27. Rule proposes deregulating certain health IT certification requirements and advancing AI interoperability. Final rule timing uncertain.
What to Do Before Monday
- If you support VA EHRM: Map your services against the 13 confirmed 2026 deployment sites. Michigan go-lives in April mean training and change management contracts are active now.
- If you have DHA clinical IT capabilities: The voice dictation RFI has closed. Monitor SAM.gov for the follow-on solicitation. If you did not respond to the RFI, you can still compete on the solicitation — but the window to shape the requirement has passed.
- If you touch certified health IT: Audit your interoperability compliance posture against the Cures Act information blocking rules. OIG enforcement is live.
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