Craig Harrington
‘It Was a Balancing Act’: Craig Harrington on Creating Change That’s Constructive, Not Disruptive
| Craig Harrington was a Digital Services Expert at the Veterans Affairs Digital Service. As a Veteran passionate about healthcare, Craig interrupted his pursuit of a PhD in biomedical informatics and left his partnership in a technology consulting firm to influence the VA’s delivery of healthcare to Veterans. |
Craig Harrington left his consulting company and joined the Veterans Affairs Digital Service after spotting a job posting online. During his time at the organization, he was embedded deeply within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where he worked to improve the Electronic Health Record (EHR) — the sprawling system that tracks patient care.
Craig found the work rewarding and his colleagues genuinely passionate. The project was a priority for the administration because of the timeline and cost of the project, combined with contractor incentives that favored delivery timelines over patient outcomes. Below, Craig discusses user interface design, the credibility that comes with a White House affiliation, and outdated government hardware.