The Indian Health Service has selected General Dynamics Information Technology Inc. to build, configure and maintain a new IHS enterprise electronic health records system using Oracle Cerner technology.
The IHS, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides health services to approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 574 federally recognized tribes in 37 states.
The contract with General Dynamics has the potential to reach $2.5 billion over 10 years. Oracle Cerner technology is also being used in Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs modernization efforts. This year, the VA paused implementations in its EHR modernization effort while it prioritizes improvements at the five sites currently using the new EHR, as part of a broader reset of the program.
The new IHS EHR will replace the Patient and Resource Management System (RPMS), a 40-year-old system that handles everything from patient registration to insurance billing. The goal of the updated system is to modernize IHS healthcare delivery and operations, making it easier for patients and providers to access up-to-date, accurate information when they need it.
“We are ready and eager to move forward with enterprise EHR with our partners. It is time to replace our current system and ensure IHS keeps pace with technological advances across the healthcare delivery system,” said Mitchell Thornbrugh, chief information officer and director of the IHS Office of Information Technology, in a statement. “This modernization (and the technology that drives it) will impact every part of our healthcare delivery. Most importantly, the new EHR will allow patients and their providers to have up-to-date, accurate information to make the best healthcare decisions.”
This selection was made after a rigorous federal procurement process that was open to all suppliers. Throughout the process, IHS said, it coordinated with tribal and urban Indigenous partner organizations through broad tribal engagement through tribal consultations, listening sessions, urban conferences, advisory committee meetings, an Industry Day and the participation of hundreds of urban and tribal indigenous people. and IHS system users at supplier product demonstrations.
“This is an important milestone in our work to provide modern, quality health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives,” IHS Director Roselyn Tso said in a statement. «With the new EHR system, patients will have better access to their own health information, providers will be able to more effectively coordinate patient care within and outside of our network, and we will be able to better track patient health. tribal communities in general.
An interdisciplinary technical evaluation panel evaluated the proposals submitted. The IHS said it selected General Dynamics because it had the strongest overall technical approach, demonstrated experience implementing complex information technology systems for the federal government and offers a high-capability EHR product that was well received by users of the system that participated in a scenario-based demonstration. sessions. As an EHR system integrator, GDIT will manage a large number of businesses on your team and will be accountable to IHS for the overall performance of the EHR replacement.
IHS elected to use an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract structure for this requirement to support the recurring needs anticipated in the enterprise EHR. Depending on the IDIQ contract structure, IHS will issue specific task orders for technical support and services. This gives IHS the ability to adjust what it purchases, incorporate lessons learned, user input, and availability of new technology.
