The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is taking steps to upgrade its healthcare IT infrastructure, awarding the Leidos Partnership for Defense Health a contract to aid in its overhaul.
The Leidos Partnership for Defense Health is made up several major players in the IT world, including EHR vendor Cerner, technology consulting firm Accenture, and defense contractor Leidos.
In a news article posted on their website, the DoD says the Defense Healthcare Management Systems Modernization (DHMSM) deal is worth $4.3 billion. They also report that the new program will cover 9.5 million beneficiaries globally, including those in remote areas of the Middle East.
The DoD says field tests to ensure the security and functionality of their software are expected to begin sometime next year. The DHMSM system is expected to improve interoperability between all DoD providers and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Additionally, it aims to accommodate easier sharing of electronic patient information between military and private-sector healthcare organizations.
A Leidos Partnership spokesperson said in a statement that they have worked with the military for more than 30 years and are “committed to continuing our work in support of its mission to improve the health and medical readiness of our military,” noting their team “stands ready to lean forward with the DoD to implement a world-class electronic health records system.”
It has been nearly a year since the federal agency initially sought offers for its Defense Healthcare DHMSM records contract. The Leidos Partnership’s bid was accepted over those of other tech giants, including IBM, Epic Systems, and Allscripts.
