(CNN) A Pentagon report has found problems with the initial stage of a military-Veterans Affairs Department digital health project backed by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner that are serious enough to potentially put patients' lives at risk, Politico reported Friday.

The evaluation found that a military software system called MHS Genesis is "neither operationally effective, nor operationally suitable" and advised hitting pause on a roll-out until issues can be resolved, the news site said.

The Military Health System's official website describes MHS Genesis, which was greenlit under the administration of former President Barack Obama in 2015, as a "new electronic health record."

According to Politico, experts who saw the Pentagon's assessment of the system described it as "devastating." Politico further reported that the results could create additional delays for a related Veterans Affairs contract with Cerner Corp., the company that started installing the military's system last year.

Pentagon officials defended the initiative to reporters on Friday, saying that improvements have been made since the review concluded, according to Politico.

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