FedHealthIT Executives & Leaders Winter 2017 introducing the fedhealthit100 WinnerS toP healthit m&a trendS 4 StrategieS for SucceSSful outreach to federal health StakeholderS george hou: connected a health futuriSt’S WiSh liSt for 2017 healthcare and Va’S digital health Platform toP fed health it aWardS for Q3 and Q4 2016 inauguration iSSue - With a neW adminiStration, 2017 muSt be the Year of the fed health it leader
Need a prescription for your data? Introducing the Federated Business Integrity System Creating transparency, aligning strategy and monitoring performance Automated workflow processing to eliminate Significant time and cost savings as a result labor intensive, manual processes of improved processes and automation Improved visibility for a real-time view to A centralized system and repository to make timely, informed decisions monitor and manage all mandated activities Improved productivity through the use of Improved communications between the standardized data and forms agency, its government partners and the public For more information, contact us: 866 630 2073 | [email protected] visualconnections.net
Winter2017 Table of Contents 5 Letter from the Editor Leadership Must Be the Name of the Game for Federal Health IT in 2017 Need a prescription 6 Federal Mergers & Acquisitions Your Role as a Federal Health Business Professional 8 for your data? 13 Federal Health IT Contracts Awarded 13 Notable Fed Health IT Contracts Awarded in the Second Half of 2016 Strategies for Successful Outreach to Federal Health Stakeholders 4 Steps to Grow Your Business this Year 16 Introducing the FedHealthIT100 Winners 100 Leaders Recognized for Driving Change in FedHealth IT Introducing the Federated The Impact of Technology on Individual Health and Well-Being 20 Business Integrity System 20 Reach Your Goals and Improve Your Chances of Success Creating transparency, aligning 22 George Hou: Connected Healthcare and the VA Digital Health Platform strategy and monitoring Focusing on What Matters in 2017 performance 26 2017 Planning: The Tools and Events to Have in Your Budget Top Conferences, Events and Tools Your FedHealthIT Colleagues Value 22 28 Federal Health IT Executives on the Move Keep up with some of the top IT Exec moves ending 2016 31 A Health Futurist’s Wish List for 2017 Automated workflow processing to eliminate Significant time and cost savings as a result Meaningless Use: The Lighter Side of Health IT labor intensive, manual processes of improved processes and automation 34 Fed Health IT Executive Insights Improved visibility for a real-time view to A centralized system and repository to Top Industry Exec Interviews Offer Perspective 31 make timely, informed decisions monitor and manage all mandated activities 36 What’s In Store at HIMSS NCA? Improved productivity through the use of Improved communications between the Insights on What is Planned for Members in 2017 standardized data and forms agency, its government partners and the public Top HIT M&A Trends for 2017 38 Storybook Endings for the Well-Positioned For more information, contact us: 40 Upcoming Federal Health IT Events 38 866 630 2073 | [email protected] Key Events For 2017 That You Don’t Want to Miss visualconnections.net FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
4 Credits PUBLISHER PHOTOGRAPHY G2Xchange Health Cover Photo and Featured Interview www.G2Xchange.com Photos by Chris Spielmann PO Box 922 Annapolis, MD 21404 CREATIVE SERVICES Montenero Studios, LLC www.montenerostudios.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Blackburn Have a story to share with us? MANAGING EDITOR April Doster Connect with us: [email protected] COPYEDITOR www.fedhealthit.com Beth Scalzitti Follow us on Twitter ASSOCIATE EDITORS @G2XHealth Julie Cooper and @FedHealthIT Kristi Dobson Jackie Gilbert Copyright © 2017 G2Xchange Health. All Rights Reserved. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Laura Bennett V5.1 Materials may not be reprinted or David Blackburn republished. Diana Ceban Mike Farahbakhshian Eric Klos Marc Marlin Heather Seftel-Kirk Jeffrey A. Raver Jeffrey Shen Elizabeth Smith Stephen Yuter CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Eric Klos Margo McKenna GRAPHIC DESIGN Kristi Dobson Margaret Mayer AJ Scalzitti LAYOUT Kristi Dobson FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Editor’sletter 5 leaderShiP muSt be the name of the game for federal health it in 2017 BY DAVID BLACKBURN 2017 will require great leadership, from both industry and government, as we help to educate, support, and drive the agenda for this next era of Federal Healthcare, to ensure it can support the needs of all US citizens. A New Administration, with a yet to be unveiled agenda, is creating great unease… as the limited clarity around the future of the Federal Health IT market for 2017, and beyond, leaves even the insiders guessing. The Trump administration has promised change and we expect actions to be louder than words. It is not uncommon, and is expected, for any new administration to want to put its stamp on several key areas. In this case, Federal Healthcare will be front and center and the new agenda will include greatly altering and even reversing much of the work done over the past eight years. This is a big task. Having just reviewed evaluation results of more than 250 Federal Health IT executives who were nominated and selected by their peers for inclusion on the FedHealthIT100, it is clear that we have leaders who possess the talent, expertise, drive, capabilities, and compassion required to meet these emerging needs. While many of the FedHealthIT100 were chosen based on the impact their decisions have on the market, several common themes among those who were selected include the desire and willingness to go above and beyond, to challenge conventional wisdom, to drive innovation, and to give back to the larger Federal Health IT community. We are competitors. We are partners. We are government and industry, but we are still one community with a common mission – to drive and to demand more from ourselves and our colleagues as we support the Veteran, the warfighter, the caregiver, the young and old, our family, friends and every US Citizen who deserves more. This is a new administration with a new agenda that will impact the health market for generations to come. Leadership must be the name of the game for Federal Health IT in 2017. Sincerely, David Blackburn Editor-In-Chief FedHealthIT Magazine FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
6 Mergers&aquisition federal m&a: Your role aS a federal health buSineSS Pro BY ELIZABETH SMITH ave you thought about how an acquisition would accelerate your growth? Have you Key Action #3– Create Meaningful Selection Criteria Hbeen asked to provide a list of potential companies for consideration? This article presents an alternative approach to creating long lists A common mistake is to develop broad criteria of unviable candidates and seemingly endless that miss the most important aspects of potential meetings without tangible outcomes. You, as a targets and, as a result, create long lists of unviable person knowledgeable about your industry and candidates. It is critical to develop a meaningful list competition, can play a critical role in guiding this of quantitative and qualitative criteria that quickly process to success. narrows the list. You, as a federal BD professional, know how to do this – after all, that is how you develop your qualified pipeline! Key Action #1 – Create a Project Plan Common criteria include revenue size, company type (large or small business, type of small business), Develop a simple schedule with standing meeting agency presence, and existing contract vehicles. But times, activities, and specific deliverables. This don’t stop there! More important criteria that will process ideally will take three months, but can be generate companies with true value to you include: shortened depending on urgency. During this time frame, you should complete the following: 1. Company reputation and performance – How is this company perceived in the marketplace • Formulate your multi-disciplinary team and set and by clients? Do they have good CPARS/past your calendars. performance? Would you work there? • Discuss your current growth strategy and 2. Unique agency relationships – Do they bring existing challenges and establish your criteria deep relationships with customers that are for candidate companies. important to you? Have they translated into sales? • Research and evaluate potential companies’ strategic fit. 3. Key talent – Is there a solid, performing team of sales people? Do they have strong capture It will be critical to focus early on a realistic number and proposal functions? How much of it is of companies to achieve meaningful results in a outsourced? reasonable time frame. After all, everyone has day jobs! 4. Prime/sub roles on contracts – Are they a prime on most of the contracts that you are interested in, and are they set-asides? Are they a value- Key Action #2– Form a Multi-Disciplinary Working Group add subcontractor, or are they doing more staff augmentation work? When are the recompetes? You will need to enlist some of your colleagues in 5. Technical capabilities – Do they have unique this process to get a broader perspective on potential capabilities that fill gaps in your skills? On candidates. This team of 5 to 8 members could which deals would those capabilities be used? include other sales people, GWAC/IDIQ managers, Do they have important certifications that you contracts, a small business representative, and other need? externally-facing colleagues. This team will need to be able to dedicate adequate time for the project. You may not need every data point on this list, but A researcher with access to federal competitor by talking through these factors you should be able databases will be needed. to narrow your list down to 10 or fewer candidates. FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Mergers&aquisition 7 Do you have complementary strategies about Key Action #4– Evaluate Top Candidates’ “Strategic Fit” market direction? Do your goals align in terms of customers, development of new offerings, and delivery of value? Look at your candidate list and Acquisitions can be painful (especially from the ask - do they tend to focus on value and creativity, acquired company’s perspective) and, if there is or are they more staff augmentation? What kinds not a good strategic fit, the value of the acquisition of opportunities are they bidding on? Can they may decline over time. Key talent might leave and write great proposals? What is their win rate? Are critical recompetes can be lost. This “intangible” they focused on winning other people’s recompetes aspect of the acquisition discussion is important. or are they interested in developing new offerings Ask yourself - if you had a crystal ball, does the and opening up new markets? Do they use low price direction that this company is headed complement to win? your planned direction? As you generate and evaluate your list of candidates, “ A common mistake is to develop mind. Also remember – you aren’t limited to those keep both quantitative and qualitative factors in that are on the market today. broad criteria that miss the most important aspects of potential ABOUT THE AUTHOR targets...it is critical to develop a Elizabeth Smith, President of E. Smith meaningful list of quantitative and Consulting, LLC, brings more than 30 years of experience and over $10B in qualititative criteria that quickly government sales. She understands narrows the list. You, as a federal BD “ both sides of an acquisition and helps companies with their growth strategies including M&A plans and execution. To professional, know how to do this. find out more about E. Smith Consulting, visit them on the web at www.esmithconsulting.net FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
8 Contractawards Awards page at Health.G2Xchange.com. Contract Awards This is a partial list of the contract awards that G2X Health has announced in the G2X Daily Take between July and December 2016. To find a more complete list, please visit our Deloitte ................. $49.7M DHA Care and Benefits Integrated Systems and EHR Support task Medical Science and ................. $126M task to Support the NIH National Computing Center for Biotechnology Information Halfaker and Associates ................. FDA $75M CDRH Submission Tracking and Reporting (CSTAR) contract CSRA ................. $180M+ Military Health Research IDIQ EHR Total Solutions ................. $70M DHA Next Generation Tri-Services Workflow Services IDIQ NETE Solutions ................. $52M CMS Website Support contract Favor TechConsulting ................. $42M VA Community Care Claims Support task DSS ................. $44M VA Logistics and Prosthetics GUI Overlay contract PwC ................. $45M VA Community Care Choice BPA Lockheed Martin/Leidos ................. $82M HHS ACF OCSE Systems Operations and Maintenance contract ProSphere, VetsEZ, Insignia ................. Added to VA $22.3B T4NG contract Technology, and SBG Technology LongView ................. $38.7M VA OI&T Wide Strategic Communications task Accenture ................. $81.4M HRSA Electronic Handbooks O&M Support task Precision Software Solution, INTEGRITYOne Partners, ................. FDA $100M LIMS integration BPA and LabAnswer Liberty IT Solutions ................. VA $40M BISL Support Services task F FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017edHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Contractawards 9 9 July-December 2016 Duty First Consulting ................. $23.1M CMS Marketplace Quality Management Services task PwC ................. $16.5M MACRA Systems Integrator (MCSI) Support task SeKON ................. CDC $15.4M DHAP IT Support Services task IBM ................. $44M FDA User Fees System Support BPA Booz Allen ................. $119M VBMS Core/Correspondence Consolidation Development and Support CSRA ................. $39M NIH OHR Systems Integration – HRIT Refresh task Insignia Federal Group ................. HHS $10M AHRQ.gov Web Development and Infrastructure IDIQ TISTA ................. $41.9M CMS Clinical Data Abstraction Center (CDAC) Support Attain ................. CDC $32.4M NIOSH Information Management and IT Services (NIMITS) Emergent ................. $19.1M HHS Oracle Managed Cloud Services task NewWave ................. $22.2M CMS Risk Adjustment Data Validation IT Support RTI International ................. $49.5M CMS Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO Support contract Free Alliance ................. $22.9M Army Medical IT/IM Services task Iron Vine Security ................. $67.6M CMS Information Security and Privacy Support Services HPE ................. CDC $88.3M Application Hosting and Enterprise File and Data Center Services (AHS) Support F FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017edHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
10 Contractawards Contract Awards Accenture ................. $265M VA Enterprise Health Management Platform (eHMP) Halfaker ................. $26M VA task for Implementation of a Web- Based Near Real-Time Survey Feedback Solution Liberty IT Solutions ................. $44.3M VA Benefit Modeling, Workflow, Management Tools, and Training Kratos ................. DHA awards $25M task for Integration and Sustainment Services Cognosante/BITS ................. 2 VA awards for Applied Informatics Program Support Services and Business Intelligence Solution Services ASRC Federal/Data ................. DHA $23M MSAT/TMDS/TMDG Networks Corporations Sustainment & Development Support Systems Plus ................. DHA $40M MHS Clinical Systems Training task Ad Hoc, SemanticBits, Ventera, ................. CMS Agile Delivery to Execute Flexion, BellEse, and TISTA Legislative Endeavors (ADELE) BPA Calibre Systems ................. $26.9M contract at VA for TAP Sustainment Support AuroTech ................. $100M FDA SharePoint Support Services BPA Lockheed Martin/Leidos ................. $87.2M CMS National Data Warehouse CSRA ................. $73.5M VA Enterprise Cloud Services contract MT&H Systems ................. FDA $20M Safety Reporting Portal (SRP) IT Support IDIQ QSSI/Optum ................. CMS $25.5M MACRA Systems Integrator (MCSI) Support task Booz Allen ................. FDA $64M Regulatory Business Information Services (RBIS) System BPA F FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017edHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Contractawards 11 July - December 2016 continued... TISTA ................. CMS $76.4M Advanced Provider Screening (APS) task Mantech ................. DHA 5 year $30.2M PEO DHMS and PMO DMIX Support contract Deloitte ................. $26.9M VA Office of Personnel Security and Identity Management Support task Favor TechConsulting ................. VA $42.2M Full Service Shipping task in support of VBA VetzEZ ................. VA’s $17.8M eHealth Exchange (eHX) Agile Development task NetImpact Strategies ................. $19.4M DHA Program Management Accountability Tool Ad Hoc ................. CMS $57.2M Website Development Support (WDS) contract Initiate Government ................. HHS IHS awards $80M RPMS QA/CS Solutions Support contract AbleVets ................. VA $30.8M JLV and Community Viewer Agile Development task Engility ................. FDA $112M Scientific Computing Support IDIQ SMS/Leidos ................. VA BHIE Sustainment task Zolon Tech ................. HRSA $18.1M IT Infrastructure and Network Services contract Northrop Grumman ................. $53M CDC NCCDPHP Technical Services for Digital Tools and Systems Support task TechWerks ................. 5 VA ADVISOR task wins Alliant Corps ................. DHA $17M Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory – Information Management System task F FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017edHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
12 Contractawards Contract Awards July - December 2016 continued... KPMG ................. VA $9.5M 5 year OI&T and CIO Support BPA Triple-i ................. 5-year FDA Dashboard and Analytics IDIQ JV led by Solutions by ................. DHA $111M Test & Evaluation Support Design II contract Government CIO ................. VA $54M Financial Services Center Software Development task CVP ................. $36.4M CMS HCQAR services task TISTA ................. $13.9M VA Appeals Modernization Caseflow solution Booz Allen ................. FDA $100M CDER IT and Program Management Support BPA Impaq International ................. CMS $16.6M CCIIO Marketplace Operations Support task Karna ................. $64M CDC WTC Health Program Support and Data Management contract Hendall ................. SAMHSA $43M Public Engagement Platform (PEP) contract Eagle Technologies ................. HHS SAMHSA $117M BHSIS contract Harris ................. $43M NIH NCI Clinical Data Management task CSRA ................. CMS $323M HIGLAS HOM Support task Cognosante ................. CMS $341M CCIIO Enrollment Resolution and Reconciliation task Sapient ................. $10.3M Communication and Outreach Support task at NIH CIT F FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017edHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Featurearticle 13 StrategieS for SucceSSful outreach to federal health StakeholderS BY JEFFREY SHEN & STEPHEN J. YUTER driven, and does not provide value nor substance he federal health market has become an for the Government as they plan their acquisitions. increasingly important sector for the Tgovernment contracting community. Additionally, they are not well-informed prior to Those who focus on citizen care, healthcare the meeting to the extent that the exchanges are services, support for the military and veterans, not mutually beneficial. While there are many Medicare, and overall public health have seen successful strategies for conducting outreach to a marked increase in activity from agencies federal agencies, the recommendations below are including the Department of Health and Human specific to the federal health market and will better Services (HHS), the Department of Veterans enable your company to facilitate meetings with Affairs (VA), and the Defense Health Agency Government decision-makers and have a mutually (DHA). Federal budgets have visibly reflected beneficial dialogue vital to successful capture and this trend; VA has seen its discretionary spend relationship building. increase from $68 billion to $78 billion over the last three fiscal years, while HHS has seen an increase from $77 billion to nearly $83 billion in 1 – Focus the communication on the customer. the same time period. Along with these increased budgets, we have seen a growing number of Whether the medium is e-mail, social media, or federal contracts, both IDIQ and single-award even a formal letter, it has to be about them and programs, spurring great interest among not just what your company can deliver. The those in the federal health sector contracting communication looks like them, sounds like them, community. These IDIQ contracts include VA and to a degree, follows their line of thinking. It T4NG, VA VECTOR, CMS SPARC, NIH CIO- reflects the relationship you already have with them SP3, and the new Health IT SIN from GSA. The or the one you hope to create. Always consider and hundreds of other single-award contracts are convey the benefits you can bring by uncovering focused in areas related to expanding healthcare the customer’s problems and needs. Typically, access, veteran access to medical care, quality healthcare delivery, electronic health records, a majority of B2G communication discusses telehealth, interoperability, and emerging qualifications, capabilities, or solutions, but you medical technologies. cannot successfully provide those inputs until you already understand what the Government is trying One of the top questions our company gets from to accomplish. clients and other companies seeking to grow their business in the federal market is how they can get It is simply effective business development to in front of the right decision-maker to market listen, learn, and provide insightful feedback for their products or services, and the best approach the customer. Federal health agencies, in particular, to make their message resonate. Many government have a distinct set of challenges and opportunities. stakeholders remain cautious when meeting with If your feedback aligns with, and directly supports industry. They are not only risk-averse but do those challenges and opportunities, then you have not want to give any sense of impropriety when a higher likelihood that the Government will be communicating with only one or even a handful interested in what your company brings to the of vendors. Contracting Officers and Program table. If you pitch, sell, or position your company Managers prefer to limit communication prior to an without first validating those objectives, you will RFP release in the hopes of remaining impartial, come across as unprepared, and may very well miss despite the continued recommendation and the mark. guidance by OFPP for more open communication. 2 – Start right. Compounding this problem is companies that are simply not well-prepared when they conduct their outreach and communications with the Prepare your communication (and an eventual Government. The dialogue is often one-sided, sales- meeting) with the end game in mind. Many FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
14 Featurearticle companies provide generic IT, management consulting, cyber, healthcare, and/or training 4 – Don’t ignore the small fish in a big pond. services, but the key is to actually connect the customer’s needs to your company’s abilities. Focus on the agency’s strategic plan and primary Federal health agencies are enormous and objectives, and bring something unique and very decentralized in terms of operations and worthwhile to the specific health challenges they requirements. When building (or adding to) your face. Provide concrete and verifiable examples of pipeline, place a focus on smaller HHS OPDIVs past success elsewhere. For example, did you create like SAMHSA, HRSA, AHRQ, or IHS. While a health solution that dramatically transforms budgets there may be less than FDA or NIH, there how an organization like HHS or VA can look at is less focus on those components and lucrative interoperability, do you have a telehealth solution opportunities that often go ignored. Similarly, at that has worked successfully in the commercial VA, focus on specific VISNs versus enterprise-wide healthcare market, or have you provided a dynamic VA contracts, and at DHA, on individual military way to improve access to quality healthcare for departments (Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.) and older Americans that can be replicated at DHA? locations instead of DHA-wide contracts. You will It is imperative to understand both the challenges likely find new requirements that necessitate specific federal health agencies are facing as well as the health expertise that your company has ready to technologies, solutions, and approaches they are implement. currently using before engagement occurs. Building relationships in the federal market is a long- term process. With the complexities, challenges, and 3 – Identify both decision-makers and influencers. confluences that exist in an ever-expanding federal health market today, making sure you understand how to conduct proper outreach, how to distinguish Cultivate your outreach both strategically and your company, and how to communicate properly systematically, and extend your contact into four will truly set you apart. Remember, regardless tiers to include Senior Executives, Contracting of the situation, your outreach has to be about Officers, Program Managers, and technical the customer, not about you. Ask yourself: “What personnel. Expanding your spectrum not only kind of results are they looking for?” This will broadens the number of people who receive your allow for a more targeted approach to business communication, but those groups talk to each development and better assess how the customer other internally, and it will get them thinking will be evaluating proposed solutions in the future. about your company. Once you have identified Once you understand the customer’s hot buttons, a list of stakeholders, it is useful to do further think beyond the initial conversation and develop analysis to better understand their relevance and an ongoing dialogue. Continue to think in terms of the perspective they can offer. solutions, but be specific; companies with offerings Consider recent events you have attended, LinkedIn contacts you have, or introductions from other Government or industry connections. Has a federal health leader recently discussed what keeps them up at night on a panel discussion? Lead with a possible approach your company offers. Did you meet a technical PM and have a conversation about a future requirement? Mention it and suggest areas for them to consider where your company has expertise. Know a Chief Medical Officer at one agency, but also want to know their colleagues? Reference known contacts. Warm introductions are always better than cold leads and help to articulate and enhance credibility. FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Featurearticle 15 that are too broad rarely get their message across capture management, strategic planning, and acquisition planning. successfully. Devote time and resources to where your company’s value is supported and instill confidence. Stephen Yuter, CPCM, CFCM, PMP Your ultimate goal is to make the customer like and is the Director of Capture Strategy at trust you. Acknowledge other solutions, and then refute them by explaining why they won’t work in Red Team Consulting and brings more the healthcare environment your customer operates than 15 years of experience in federal in. Demonstrate that your company can perform acquisition and contract management. well and that past success will deliver future results In his position, he provides government for their mission. In sum, the key to any federal contracting subject matter expertise for health agency knowing, liking, and trusting you is clients, oversees strategic capture services, understanding, listening, and acting as a partner to them first. and supports business development efforts. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Red Team Consulting, LLC (Red Team) is one of the premier providers Jeffrey Shen is Vice President and of proposal development consulting, General Manager at Red Team capture management, pricing strategy, Consulting bringing more than 20 years and training services in support of of proven leadership and functional government contractors. expertise in federal contracting, corporate strategy, and business development. His career includes working Visit Red Team on the web at www.redteamconsulting.com. with U.S. corporations and public sector clients in the areas of Save The Date Presented by Leidos T ue sda y, Se pt e mbe r 19, 2017 T he Rit z- Carlt on • 1150 22 nd St . NW • Washingt on, DC • 6:30p .m. Join Paralyzed Veterans of America at the Mission: ABLE Awards. The Mission: ABLE Awards provides a unique opportunity to network and to have your support recognized among our distinguished guests, elected officials, senior military, Veterans Affairs and Defense Health Agency leadership and corporate and philanthropic leaders. Corporate Leadership Committee Nadeem Butler Theresa Holder President & CEO, Technatomy Corporation Vice President, Veterans Health, Leidos Chairman, 2017 Mission: ABLE Awards Co-Chair, 2017 Mission: ABLE Awards For More Information, Please Contact: Lisa Baynes • [email protected] • 202.416.7673 pva.org/awards /ParalyzedVeterans @PVA1946 @PVA1946 #MissionABLE
FedHealthIT Introducing the 2017 FedHealthIT100 100 and advancement in the Federal Health Information Technology Market. The FedHealthIT100 honors those individuals recognized for driving change Nominated and chosen by their peers, some common themes among those who were selected include the desire and willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, to go above and beyond, to drive innovation, and to give back to the Kevin Seeley Andy Bindman Dr. Alan Constantian larger Federal Health IT and Consulting community. Aimee Scanlon Deputy CIO and Account Former Director, Chief, Infrastructure Program Office Program Manager for Health, AHRQ, HHS and Operations, Health Manager, OIT, VA Information Technology, Defense Medical Dawn Halfaker DHA Information Exchange Program, (DMIX) Mike Vogel Owner and CEO, Strategic Accounts Halfaker and Associates LaVerne Council Development Executive, Chief Information Officer, Kforce Government Frederick Deese VA Solutions (KGS) CEO, Visual Connections Warren Kibbe Melissa Starinsky Director, Director, Office of Niall Brennan NCI, CBIIT Acquisition and Grants Management Former Chief Data Officer, CMS, HHS CMS, HHS Jim Traficant Managing Director, Naina Leo Todd Simpson Federal Health, Vice President, Accenture Octo Consulting Chief Information Officer, “As the primary leader of FDA, HHS AFCEA Health IT day, Naina Leo Scanlon has been instrumental in making Rob Coen Acting Chief Information this the flagship event of the Security Officer, year.” Strategy Director, HHS GSA FEDSIM Jon White Alastair Thomson Scott Shippy Deputy National Chief Information Officer, Director, Program Coordinator for Health Management and Information Technology, National Heart, Lung, Performance Group, ONC, HHS Blood Institute, CMS, HHS NIH, HHS Alistair “has led major Paul Mulhausen, MD infrastructure improvement Ken Rubin Chief Medical Officer, programs for high performance Director of Standards Telligen computing and pilots of cloud and Interoperability, VHA Michele Kang services to support research.” Office of Knowledge CEO, Cognosante Based Systems, Michele “is hands down the best David Waltman Aaron Drew VA leader I have ever worked for. Chief Strategy Officer, blurb here Director Health IT The [health sector] growth is a AbleVets Product Engineer, direct result of her vision and VA focus…”
Brenda Stevens Major Randall Shiflett Richard Crowe HAIMS Product Manager, Deputy Program Manager, Senior Vice President, DHA CBIS Program Office, Booz Allen Hamilton DHA Steven Posnack Roopangi Kadakia Director, Elaine Hunolt Deputy Assistant Office of Standards and Co-Director, Secretary and Chief Technology, Office of Interoperability, Information Security ONC, HHS Office of Informatics and Officer, Neil Evans, MD Information Governance, VA VHA, VA Kenneth Bonner, Chief Officer for the Office Vice President, of Connected Care Lisa Roberts Steven Schliesman Federal Health, VA Deputy Director, Standard Technology Dr. Evans is an “unrelenting President, Government, DOD/VA Interagency patient advocate” and leader AMC Health Program Office, Dr. Lauren Thompson of a VA team “that works to Joseph Ronzio OIT, VA improve services to Veterans and Director, Caregivers.” DoD/VA Interagency Deputy Chief Health Program Office Technology Officer, Jason McNamara VA Ivor D’Souza Director, Chief Information Officer, Health Information Darrin Washington Systems, National Library of Audacious Inquiry Vice President, Medicine Client Executive, NIH, HHS CACI Dr. Paul Tibbits Emery Csulak Steve Davidson Deputy CIO, Architecture, Chief Information Director, Strategy, and Design, Security Officer, Information Systems VA CMS, HHS Group, Dr. Tibbits “is one of the most CCSQ, CMS, HHS forward looking and smartest change agents the VA has. His experience and understanding cannot be matched…” Pawan Singh Mark Naggar Principal, Former Project Director, Deloitte Consulting HHS Buyer’s Club (HHS Pawan Singh is a “leader, IDEA Lab), mentor and … a true consultant HHS which helps him offer solutions to the most challenging customer Edward Syms problems.” Diana Ceban Dan Blum Senior Vice President, HIMSS-NCA President Owner, Blum Consulting Group Favor TechConsulting, Dan Kral and Director, (FTC) SAIC “This former VA leader has Director, Diana is a “tireless leader… Michael Weiner quickly become an invaluable Telemedicine and from her support of the Chief Medical Information member of the NG (VA) Advanced Technology NITAAC CAG to her role as Officer, community and a great mentor.” Research Center HIMSS NCA President, Diana IBM Healthcare and gives of her time.” Life Sciences
George Chambers Brooke Patterson Stacy Cummings Ray Wedgeworth Executive Director, Senior Vice President of Program Executive Director, Office of Enterprise Government Services, Officer, Data Analytics and Application Development, ARDX Defense Healthcare Systems Group, HHS Management Systems CPI, CMS, HHS Marina Martin (DHMS) Laura Bennett Former Chief Technology Director, Officer, COL Rich Wilson Healthcare Solutions, VA Chief, Solution Delivery Ventech Solutions and Division, VP/Pres-Elect, Roya Konzman Health IT Directorate, HIMSS NCA DHA Sr. IT Program Manager, Health IT SIN Lead, GSA Douglas Burke President and Cofounder, Horace Blackman Amber Schleuning Cognitive Medical Deputy Director, Systems, Inc. Senior Vice President, Health, Leidos VA Center for Innovation Rachel Wiebe Horace “leads efforts around the Veterans Health line of business User Experience Analyst, by utilizing great expertise Joint Legacy Viewer, of VA and advanced mission- Lucas Brown, Ph.D. VA critical systems.” U.S. Digital Service, Servio Medina The White House Chiang Ren Lucas’ “efforts have been Chief of Operations, Chief Solutions Architect, essential in driving the CMS Cybersecurity Division of PSI and QPP to deliver user Health IT, friendly, modern technology to DHA Maggie Amato Barry Dickman Deputy Director, Security both providers and patients.” Sean Kelley Health IT Leader, Design & Innovation Team, Battelle Former Deputy CIO for Barry “was instrumental in HHS Account Management taking this once small HIMSS of Benefits and Veteran Chapter into being a model that Experience, HIMSS … should look to.” VA George Hoffman Barclay Butler Acting CIO, Component Acquisition Acting Director Office of Christine Dymek Executive and Head of Enterprise Information, Director, Health IT Contracting Actions, CMS, HHS Division, DHA AHRQ, HHS Cathy McGrane Christine ensures innovations Julie Boughn are “tied to direct impact Corey Stevenson Sales Leader, on improving patient health Pragmatic Champion for Senior Vice President, Federal Healthcare, and can be adopted and Transformation in Health Clients & Delivery, Hewlett Packard implemented.” Care, Cognosante Enterprise (HPE) Audacious Inquiry Andrea Norris Julie “is a phenomenal leader due in part to experience gained Beth Killoran Rob Thomas II Chief Information Officer supporting transformative Chief Information Officer, Deputy Chief Information NIH, HHS healthcare initiatives at [CMS] HHS Officer, and the energy she brings.” VA
Janet Vogel Kirthi Anantharam Suzanne Charleston Director, VP, Healthcare Exec, Office of Technology Health Solutions Division, LexisNexis, Solutions and Deputy CIO, Customer Value Partners and VP, CMS, HHS NCMA Woodlawn Chapter Nicole Gardner Susan Postal David Carnahan, MD Chief Health Information Vice President, Officer, Chief, Enterprise Daniel Levenson Federal Healthcare, Division of IT, Intelligence Section, IBM Global Business DHA Indian Health Service, Digital Service Services HHS Contracting Advisor, CMS, HHS Adriane Burton Philip Bourne Dan “is one of the pioneers Gail Kalbfleisch Associate Director for in this new agile way of Chief Information Officer,, Director, Data Science, contracting” by ““breaking HRSA, HHS Federal Health NIH, HHS down the barriers of traditional Architecture, way of procuring IT services.” HHS Andrea Wright Raquel Bono Health IT Account Director, Manager, Defense Health Agency AMERICAN SYSTEMS James Blagaich Bradley Saull CIO, Vice President, Professional Services Substance Abuse Mental Joe Grace Council Kavita Kalatur Health Services Agency, HHS President and CEO, President, Grace and Associates NetImpact Strategies Mark Grooms Joe is a “great asset to the Kavita gives back “through her community” based in part on his actions, to include serving on the PEO DHMS Testing, “ability to drive the conversation board of the AFCEA Bethesda Infrastructure Managed to a depth that we don’t get Chapter and organizing a Services elsewhere.” regular DHA [Networking event].” George Hou Federal Health Executive, InterSystems Todd Pantezzi Anita Allen Senior Vice President, ICF Small Business Specialist, In addition to “leading efforts CMS, HHS at HHS for ICF”, Todd “is a tireless, dedicated leader of the Nadeem Butler Wendell Ocasio, MD annual Children’s Inn at NIH FedHealthIT 100 Gala.” Chief Medical Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Military Health Group, Technatomy Corporation Accenture Federal Mary Grace Karch In addition to “making a large Services Vice President, impact at [VA] … Mr. Butler Federal Health, provides great leadership Tom Love MAXIMUS and support for the PVA’s CEO and Co-founder, Mission:ABLE Awards.” ShouldersCorp
20 Featurearticle the imPact of technologY on indiVidual health and Well-being BY JEFFREY A. RAVER magine being in a highly stressful environment perform optimally under stress. Gaming combines where you must remain calm, maintain technologies, methods, cross-channel processes, and Isituational awareness, and make real-time multimedia integration to introduce skills, problem- decisions based on highly complex information. solving, and strategy development. It allows Now imagine you are simply looking for ways to players to master tasks in a safe, no-consequence, improve your health and personal performance. New and engaging environment that helps them learn techniques and technologies are rapidly changing faster and retain information longer. to help you achieve these goals and improve your chances of success. Under a pilot program being conducted by technology integrator Science Applications By combining biofeedback and human performance International Corporation (SAIC), augmented training, sports psychologists are teaching strategies and virtual reality are combined with biomedical used by high-performing athletes to others who are feedback, human performance enhancement, in stressful environments, such as warfighters. This and serious games to create innovative training approach provides the data and tactics that training environments. These conditions efficiently and participants need to understand their personal state effectively train students to operate at an increased of mind and well-being and manage their mental level of performance, optimize stress levels, and and emotional states. It also equips them with the achieve the greatest training benefit. SAIC has knowledge to assess a challenge quickly and to expertise in all of these areas and provides training execute a course of action with confidence and services and solutions primarily to customers in the composure. U.S. federal government. Serious gaming technology and virtual and Data Analytics Impact Outcomes augmented reality are also gaining acceptance as highly immersive, adaptive environments in which to train and condition warfighters and others to SAIC’s cloud computing expertise also enables FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Featurearticle 21 healthcare providers more effectively achieve their goals. But there is more to it than expert capability and technical competency. The proliferation of data over the Internet raises privacy concerns. What are the implications of people voluntarily giving up their rights to privacy to access specialized training or traceable health information? Could this information be compromised and used in negative ways? If so, what kinds of detrimental consequences could this have on individual health decisions people make? A cybersecurity simulator, such as the one designed by SAIC to train cyber warriors in an integrated fashion, is one possible way to explore questions of this nature. In conjunction with other health IT industry leaders, SAIC is poised to delve into these types of personal privacy issues, as well as create and integrate innovative tools and strategies to enhance individual health and well-being. ABOUT THE AUTHOR the delivery of distributed learning solutions that integrate interactive multimedia instruction Jeffrey A. Raver is the Vice President/ and course content over the web on a variety of Director of Education and Training devices. The aim is to provide high-quality training, Services for Science Applications anywhere and anytime, allowing learners to choose International Corporation. In this when, where, and how to train based on their role, Raver manages a team of 750 instructors and personal preferences. One example is an augmented training analysts delivering training worldwide to reality game the company created to provide first every branch of the military, numerous federal and state aid training to first responders. agencies, and a variety of commercial customers. Raver has more than 27 years of experience in the design and All of these capabilities have implications with the development of innovative and immersive training Internet of Things because they can require devices, solutions for complex problems, including the application sensors, and applications that transmit data over of technology and data analytics to increase training communication networks in real time. The need efficiency and effectiveness. He has an undergraduate to quickly collect and analyze data is paramount. degree in psychology from The Catholic University of Through IT strategy and business transformation America and a Master of Science degree in systems processes, cloud and data center engineering, data engineering from George Washington University. management services, analytics, and proactive cyber practice, SAIC enables efficient and timely training and decision-making through rapid access to data in SAIC is a premier technology ® a secure environment that provides critical insights integrator providing full life to individual health and well-being. cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information Technology Is Not Enough technology markets. SAIC provides systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects. These technologies, capabilities, and innovations Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, SAIC has are easily transferable to the federal health IT approximately 15,000 employees and annual revenues market space to help individuals, leaders, and of about $4.3 billion. FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
22 Featureinterview george hou: connected healthcare & the Va digital health Platform: focuSing on What matterS BY HEATHER SEFTEL-KIRK ith the inauguration of Donald Trump Currently, federal IT acquisitions are geared towards scheduled to take place as this publication a “build rather than buy” approach. This approach, Wgoes to press, many businesses and according to Hou, often falls short of delivering what industries are abuzz with speculation about what end-user communities actually need and can cost the the new administration will mean, what changes government more time and money in the end. A might be expected under the new leadership, and new administration may signal changes to existing what promises, or challenges, 2017 will hold. The policies, Hou suggests. business of healthcare and those providing services to healthcare are among those waiting and watching, “Under current acquisition policies, the way offers to see what, if any, shifts are to come. are scored, a product company may rate negatively – deficient or non-compliant – because they have a capability that is not exactly what the agency asks for. However, the product can be easily modified or configured to respond to the need without starting from scratch, reducing time to desired capability, risk of program failure, and development costs to the tax payers. An integrator who says they will build something scores neutral at worst, not deficient or non-compliant – even though they are starting with nothing.” The result of this policy, he says, is that government often ends up investing valuable resources such as time, money, and people in research and development, starting from scratch to develop capabilities, and creating solutions that may or may not be adaptable or supported by organizations other than the company that developed the solution. In that scenario where I recently had the opportunity to speak with George government funds the R&D, the taxpayers bear the Hou to get his insights. Hou is the Managing Director full brunt for the development and maintenance of and National Account Manager for the Department those solutions. Instead, agencies and acquisition of Veterans Affairs with InterSystems, a global strategies should be focused on solutions that are leader in software for connected care and health data modular, leverageable, and built on past successes, interoperability. Well over half of the hospitals and wherever they may be. health systems in the U.S., as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Defense Health, and Indian “Leveraging expertise from others is a universally Health Service, manage their health data through proven approach. In the auto industry, for example, InterSystems technology. current offerings are the culmination of what each automaker does best, while relying on partner Hou hopes to see federal acquisition reform. companies to provide the various components that FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Featureinterview 23 make their offerings better. They don’t spend time developing and perfecting each small part of the The Clinger Cohen Act, in conjunction with Office vehicle, but instead take a modular approach where of Management & Budget (OMB) Raines rules possible, pulling together the best capabilities or governing federal agencies’ strategic investments in subcomponents from a variety of sources.” information technology, call for a buy-first approach. Only when solutions cannot be leveraged by other He says the Digital Health Platform similarly has agencies or cost-effectively acquired should agencies various components brought together through be looking to fund development from scratch. middleware, and having different components doesn’t mean the back-end systems won’t fit together. Another necessary component to ensure the future- proofing of new acquisitions is relying on industry “Integrators and agencies reduce their risk for standards and application program interfaces (APIs). delivering capabilities when they start with These APIs, Hou says, provide governance at the something that is partially or even mostly in line with technology level. When commercial providers adhere what they are looking for and then contract out for to the same standards and API sets as those who specific unfulfilled needs – a subset of the whole – to develop from scratch, whether they develop in open achieve the full end result they seek.” source or use proprietary technology with an open architecture, the result is a variety of alternatives This approach takes collaboration, from within the that can satisfy the needs of agencies and commercial agencies and with external companies or partners, entities alike, making IT infrastructures interoperable and must include the end users as peer members of because they are based on the same industry-accepted the overall team. In information technology, relying APIs and metadata standards. on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions that are proven in similar environments, ideally at scale, “This strategy, although endorsed by law and governed means that no one organization bears the brunt of by OMB, requires not only a change in acquisition the overall research and development costs, while approaches, but may also challenge the relationship mitigating risk from building an unsustainable between integrators who want to build applications “one off” solution. R&D costs in this model are and software publishers who have partial, if not amortized across all who license or acquire products complete, solutions. Often when integrators design from commercial industry. Conversely, if an agency and develop software and systems, documentation contracts for services to develop a system, that one including the API sets and metadata standards are agency carries the burden of paying for all of the an afterthought. Open architecture uses guiding R&D for that solution. The benefit of not having one principles of following accepted industry standards agency or company bear the burden of R&D costs is and documenting the use of those standards at worth opening those doors. the points of demarcation, at the APIs, such that anyone has the ability to design, innovate, and deliver Hou says building on what exists lets federal agencies additional or enhanced capabilities. If what they have start fast and grow fast, the best position to be in. But, implemented needs to be augmented, upgraded, or he cautions, it calls for a different way of thinking, replaced over time, a truly modular and extensible including a willingness to look to solutions that architecture eliminates the need to start from scratch, already exist and leveraging open architecture, which reducing risk of failure, time to capability, and cost.” is a superset of open source options. The advantages of adhering to API sets means “COTS options are also a huge opportunity to reduce specific offerings can be unplugged and plugged in as R&D costs, lower the risk of failure, and speed time needed, creating a modular environment that supports to capability for those willing to keep an open mind.” starting and growing fast while keeping an eye on FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
24 Featureinterview the end result. It isn’t technology for technology’s challenges in changing basic premises and ways sake, but enabling users to improve the delivery of of thinking. He says 20 years ago, VA made sound care, improve outcomes, and create overall business decisions around technology selection and strategies efficiencies. for future-proofing. However, some of those policies had the unintended side effect of restricting “We use this strategy a lot at InterSystems. By innovation and advancements. Companies such as looking at best practices, and taking components InterSystems have continued to evolve their software from products developed specifically for other clients to meet the needs of commercial clients. Those needs – health data interoperability compliant with ONC are similar if not the same as VA’s needs now. guidelines, for instance – we can apply the effort that satisfies the need, and provide that solution to others For example, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without any one organization bearing the brunt of for commercial care delivery organizations, making the R&D investment. Again, R&D is amortized patient data interoperable is a requirement under across all users and not just one.” Meaningful Use 2. InterSystems provided the document exchange capability required under ACA, Engineering principles are engineering principles. knowing that document exchange was not good Whether applied to systems supporting the finance enough. InterSystems focused on data exchange at industry, manufacturing, or health information the elemental level, with the appropriate metadata technology, understanding the function of subsystems tags endorsed by industry and ONC, which provides or subroutines and governing at the edges – the APIs the interoperability really needed in health IT. – is critical to successful delivery of systems while also providing the ability to evolve. In healthcare, IT “We are seeing further progress with the emergence happens to be more complex; health data has more and demand for the Fast Healthcare Interoperability than 60,000 data elements, each with its own data Resources (FHIR) standard. Some of our own descriptors or metadata tags. clients went on to build solutions based on the draft standard. When the recent Draft Standard for Trial “InterSystems is focused on reducing the complexity Use 2 (DSTU2) for FHIR was signed, InterSystems of health IT for its clients,” Hou says. released product within three weeks leveraging the standard. When clients heard of this, they asked how Hou sees some agencies beginning to recognize the InterSystems could have accomplished FHIR DSTU2 advantages of not starting from scratch. VA, he says, compliance so quickly when evolving their home- has moved toward a policy of establishing quick grown solutions from the draft standard to DSTU2 wins, or reduced time to capability, by leveraging was literally going to take them millions of dollars a buy-first approach, largely thanks to guidance and more than a year of development? InterSystems provided by LaVerne Council, the agency’s Assistant was able to do so because it has always focused on Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief data at the elemental level. It started with a strategic Information Officer; Paul Tibbits, MD, Deputy CIO interoperability platform in mind, a platform that for Architecture Strategy & Design; and John Short, could literally be the core of VA’s Digital Health Director responsible for VistA Evolution. Platform.” “It’s been a slow start, but there has been a lot of According to Hou, adhering to a document exchange talk about not starting from scratch, and we’re seeing convention is easy when all of the elements are several projects now coming forward with an interest already parsed out and tagged. in leveraging existing capabilities and past successes from industry where the needs are the same.” “Through the InterSystems approach, we reached The change is slow in coming, due in part to the the required capability for FHIR DSTU2 in weeks FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Featureinterview 25 instead of months, and we anticipate the same when variety of sectors. Standard for Trial Use 3 is approved.” “More and more agencies are seeing that data without There have already been demonstrations of the context is meaningless. The holistic analysis which opportunity and the potential available for modular only comes with interoperable data, including context, approaches and collaboration in the global health needs to be there. Information must be shared across information exchange arena. With the interchange multitudes of systems and platforms, for all sectors. of health data well beyond its infancy and now being Think about the way intelligence agencies aggregate adopted at all levels, the opportunities to really share streams of data to understand its implications. True and to plug in specific capabilities, as needed, has insight comes from many sources. Understanding the huge implications for citizens. data’s context by understanding APIs and utilizing metadata is critical resulting in true information.” As an example, he cites the work of the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) and the New York He says there are a lot of positive changes happening State Department of Health. Partnering with within agencies such as VA, and “even more can be regional health information organizations and three done.” health information exchange vendors to create the Statewide Health Information Network of New While the future of the government and the agencies York (SHIN-NY), the effort connected providers at under its direction yet remains unclear, Hou is all levels for the purposes of improved emergency confident about the future. and ongoing care for more than 19 million citizens. If a patient presents in an emergency room in New “I do hope the new administration will take a York and does not remember all of the medications pragmatic approach and enforce buy-over-build she is taking, providers in New York are able to pull thinking to reduce time to capability, reduce risk of all the active medications for the patient through program or project failure, and reduce cost to the tax the exchange. When the patient is discharged, her payers.” primary care physician can be alerted and can provide appropriate followup. The alerting mechanism alone has been shown to reduce emergency room readmissions within 24 hours by about 20%. “This effort demonstrates that it isn’t just the exchange of information that is important, which is impressive enough, but the end state of improved care and better health outcomes for our citizens is the real value.” This same potential – the ability to see the bigger picture, to utilize and analyze data at individual levels or on a population-based perspective – is available to government agencies like VA, as well as organizations in a FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
26 2017 Planning: Federal Health Conferences, Events, and Tools to have in your budget YOUR VOICE Business Development Poll YOUR VOICE health for Fed Health IT & Consulting Executives The large conferences that 77 % Fed Health IT and Consulting executives value.* 84.6% of businesses focused 64.1% on VA said the 35.9% 41.0% National Veterans Small Business HIMSS The Defense AFCEA National Veterans Annual Health IT Health IT Small Business Engagement Conference Symposium Day Engagement (NVSBE) conference is valuable. 69 % The conferences and events that Fed Health IT and Consulting executives value for networking.* of large businesses stated 75.0% HIMSS NCA 47.2% 52.8% 38.9% chapter meetings are 19.4% HIMSS The Defense AFCEA DSI DoD/VA HIMSS NCA valuable networking events. Annual Health IT Health IT and GovHealth chapter Conference Symposium Day Summit events meetings The conferences and events that Fed Health IT and Consulting executives said provide the best 82 % sponsorship.* 69.7% of large businesses surveyed 48.5% 33.3% said 18.2% 15.2% 9.1% HIMSS The Defense AFCEA DSI DoD/VA HIMSS NCA None AFCEA Health IT Day Annual Health IT Health IT and GovHealth chapter Conference Symposium Day Summit events meetings provides valuable sponsorship opportunties. FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Fed Health IT and consulting executives shared other conferences, events, and 27 ideas that they consider valuable to include in their budget. GITEC and its Breakfast, Face to face summit give you lunch, dinner, G2X should networking is still the best value if coffee, drinks... consider their own the most effective “ you are focused A few would semi-annual or tool for business on Civilian include quarterly event. development. Health. QualityNet, (If it was) kept to Breakfast, lunch, Convergence $100 or so, I think dinner, coffee, and CMS Industry the HIT community drinks... Days. would support it. “ The organizations that Fed Health IT and Consulting 77 % executives value for support.* of large businesses polled said the 55.3% 57.9% HIMSS NCA 44.7% organization 34.2% provides great 21.1% 13.2% value. 5.3% Professional HIMSS ACT-IAC AFCEA- AFCEA-DC NCMA HIMSS Services National Bethesda Woodlawn Council Capital Area (PSC) Chapter 100 % The Business Development tools that Fed Health IT and Consulting executives value.* of mid-tier businesses surveyed said Deltek is 73.0% a tool they value, while slightly more than 50 % 32.4% 16.2% 13.5% 16.2% of small businesses 5.4% Deltek Bloomberg Fedmine Govini None -I dont I prefer my said the same. use them own research using FPDS-NG, News Sites, etc “ I personally use Onvia and GovTribe. (small business respondent) FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017 “ Our community would benefit from both a HIT community-powered DB for emerging solicitations, as well as a DB of awarded programs. (mid-tier business respondent) * Respondents were able to choose more than one answer
28 28 Industrymoves INDUSTRY MOVES Andrey Ostrovsky, formerly of HHS ONC, takes on CMO role with CMS from the g2x daily take This is a partial list of the Industry Moves that G2X Former VA and HHS CISO, Health has announced in the Daily Take from July Dan Galik, takes on new 2016 to December 2016. To find a more complete challenge at Dept. of Ed. list, visit our Industry Moves page at G2Xchange.com. Former VA Exec, Eric Huweart DHA announces Daniel DHA Security Lead, joins Apprio as VP of Military Lee as new Chief of Siwei Luo, takes on CISO and Veterans Healthcare Staff role at NIH HHS appoints Beth Stephen Yuter, former Monica Van Dyke Killoran to serve as new HHS Contracting Exec, assumes VP of BD role Chief Information Officer joins Red Team Consulting at Favor TechConsulting MHS Chief of Innovation, VA appoints Roopangi ARDX adds Brook Steve Steffensen, takes on Kadakia as new CISO Patterson as Senior VP new challenge of Government Services Pegasystems former DHA HIT Group adds Scott Shippy appointed to Director MHS Exec, Milad COL Mark Gray as Chief for Program Management and Bahrami as Director HHS for Portfolio Management Performance Group at CMS Kolvilvenni Ramaswamy HHS PSC Exec, Paul Bartley, VA adds Eugene J. joins C-HIT as Chief leaves government, joins BD Guglielmo, Ph.D. as Health Innovation Officer (Becton, Dickinson and Company) Data Management lead DHA adds Kevin Seeley as Rob Coen, NITAAC Favor TechConsulting hires new Chief of Infrastructure Program Director, is Industry Veteran, Kiran and Operations moving on to GSA Rathod, as VP of Solutions F FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017edHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Industr y Mo v es Industrymoves 29 29 VA appoints Lee Becker as Monty D’Ambrosio hired Industry Veteran, Joshua Chief of Staff for the Office by TISTA as Senior VP Temkin, starts up his of Veterans Experience of Health own consultancy, Pleiotek DHA Information Delivery Jay McCloud assumes Chief TISTA hires John Hays Exec, Albert Bonnema, MD, of Interoperability Processes as VP in support of takes on new challenge role at DoD/VA IPO health growth efforts Andy Blumenthal is George Komatsoulis, former Ron Yeaw to serve as Deputy recruited by HHS as NCI Acting CIO, takes new Director at Army’s Mobile ASPR Deputy COO role outside government Health Innovation Center Concept Plus recruits former Niall Brennan, CMS HHS Innovation Lead, MHS CIO and VA Deputy Chief Data Officer, Steps Read Holman, moving to CIO, Chuck Campbell Down the White House ICF. Focusing on Critical Health ICF. Focusing on Critical Health and Science Issues That Matter. and Science Issues That Matter. Whether we’re conducting Whether we’re conducting health-focused surveys Like our clients, we are health professionals and scientists who Like our clients, we are health professionals and scientists who health-focused surveys have devoted our careers to creatively addressing complex or managing confidential have devoted our careers to creatively addressing complex or managing confidential issues, offering practical and insightful intellectual leadership. data, ICF knows how to issues, offering practical and insightful intellectual leadership. data, ICF knows how to put all the pieces together § Innovative survey methods to gather data § § § Innovative survey methods to gather data put all the pieces together to inform data-driven § Electronic health data exchange § § § Electronic health data exchange to inform data-driven decisions when time is of decisions when time is of § Open data initiatives § § § Open data initiatives the essence and resources the essence and resources § Data and text analytics § § § Data and text analytics are constrained. are constrained. Learn more Learn more at icf.com at icf.com FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
30 30 Industrymoves Todd Van Haaren joins Dave Nelson, CMS CIO, Solutions by Design II HP Enterprise Services moves on – to serve as Nuclear adds Douglas Brown as VP as Client Sales Executive Regulatory Commission CIO of Healthcare Programs Tiphanie Forst joins HHS OIG adds Evan Lee eGlobalTech adds Peter Cerner Federal as Strategic as new Chief Technology Warren as VP, Federal Sales Development Executive Officer and Capture Management Nathan Green joins DHA Steve Schliesman VA recruits Ken Rubin to serve Health IT Directorate as Chief assumes Deputy as Director of Standards and of Deployment & Transition Director role at VA Interoperability Brillient hires Sharon Chuck Bell to serve Gundeep Ahluwalia Jimenez as VP of Telligen as VP of Federal leaves FDA to serve as Strategy and Growth Business Development CIO at DOL Steve Kastin to serve Robert Roemer joins Former VA Exec, Laura By Light as Chief TISTA as Director of VA Prietula, joins KGS as Healthcare IT Strategist and Healthcare Programs Vice President Seth Thomas takes on Vik Chauhan to serve Michael Collins added Director of Information Technatomy as Chief as CTO at Synetics for Systems Security at CMS Growth Officer Management Decisions Inc Julie Boughn joins Audacious Nicole Kerkenbush to serve Letitia Royal named as CMS Inquiry as Champion for as VP of Data Analytics at Rapid Program Deployment Transformation SD based Regional Health Group Director InterSystems hires Jack Ventech recruits Industry DHA recruits Ildar Ibragimov Varga as Chief Medical veteran, Eric Sharpsten, as Chief for Systems Officer as new CTO Engineering Management Audacious Inquiry recruits Akira hiresThomas Boyce Sean Lenehan hired by former CMS Technical as VP of Health and ProSphere as VP of VA Director, Jason McNamara Civilian Programs IT Services View more Industry Moves at www.health.G2Xchange.com FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017edHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017 F
Meaninglessuse 31 a health futuriSt’S WiSh liSt for 2017 meaningleSS uSe: the lighter Side of health it BY MIKE FARAHBAKHSHIAN n this month’s article, Mike Farahbakhshian discusses how to use Big Data analytics to #1– Use Big Data For Pharmacovigilance Iimprove pharmacovigilance, tackle suicide and opioid addiction, refine nootropics, and save The aforementioned drug is called valproic acid, the economy. Read time: 5 minutes. Suggested and it is currently used as a treatment for epilepsy, drink pairing: Whiskey Skin or Hot Toddy migraines, and bipolar disorder. Off-label, valproic acid restores neuroplasticity: the ability to 1 I Wouldn’t Wash George Jetson’s Underwear Just Yet learn skills as if we were children. A 2013 study shows valproic acid restores the ability to learn absolute (perfect) pitch, concluding: We live in the future. In sum, our study is the first to show a change “ What would you do if I told you that in AP with any kind of drug treatment. The finding that VPA can restore plasticity in a fundamental perceptual system in adulthood provides compelling evidence that one of there exists a wonder drug that the modes of action for VPA in psychiatric treatment may be to facilitate reorganization enables you to learn new skills as if “ and rewiring of otherwise firmly established pathways in the brain and its epigenome. you were a child? What would you do if I told you that there exists a wonder drug that enables you to learn new skills as if you were a child? You’d be able to pick up languages, sports, or even musical talent like a sponge. This drug has existed since 1882 and is currently used today. Would you take it? What if I told you the side effects included anorexia, birth defects, bleeding gums, delusions, dementia, “black, tarry stools”, “rapid or worm-like movements of the tongue”, hepatitis, and pancreatitis? How about now? Would you still take it? Okay, it seems like there’s a bit of a gap between the present and the future. Let’s walk through a wish list of tasks to perform in 2017 to help the future Figure 1: Amazon even knew I’d like a purple suede belt. arrive just a little sooner. FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
32 Meaninglessuse Yet this drug is extremely dangerous. What do we Big Data analytics to examine the demographics do to ensure a safe dose of this drug where the of these opioid addicts and suicide victims to benefits outweigh the costs? How can health IT determine if there are any common demographic help with this? features such as race, location, and education level. Given the fact that the manufacturing It took nearly a century for aspirin to be approved and coal jobs of the past are leaving, I suspect for low-dose, prophylactic use in preventing unemployment and a general decrease in the heart disease. In fact, the final recommendation standard of living are contributing to a despair from the United States Preventative Services that is literally killing us. I also suspect that the Task Force on low-dose aspirin came on April 12, inflection point of 2006 for increased suicide 2016! might have something to do with the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act The ability to perform pharmacovigilance on of 2005 making it more difficult for low income existing drugs can be augmented by using big individuals to declare bankruptcy. We must make data analytics. Biometric devices like Fitbits 2017 the year we use population health statistics must be augmented to perform sampling of drug to report to lawmakers what the real human metabolites (in sweat or via pinprick testing) impact is of legislative and economic changes. and correlated with any changes in vitals. Daily We must in turn use analytics to identify at-risk journals kept by study participants should be subject to natural language processing to determine any changes in behavior, cognition, or thought pattern. If Amazon can infer that I’ve gotten into strongman competitions by the type of fitness gear I’ve bought, the research community should be able to draw more useful conclusions with a combination of long-form and biometric data. #2– Use Big Data To Stop Opioid Addiction and Suicide Proactively Nowhere do we see a bigger need for pharmacovigilance than with opioids. Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the US. In 2014, there were 47,055 lethal drug overdoses: 18,893 of these were prescription 2 opioids like oxycodone. Another 10,574 were from heroin, which is commonly used by opioid addicts seeking easier relief . A celebrity we lost 3 in 2016 is Prince, who died of an opioid overdose. Equally shameful is the increase in suicide rates. From 1999 through 2014, the age-adjusted suicide rate in the United States increased 24%, from 10.5 to 13.0 per 100,000 population, with the pace of increase greater after 2006 . In 2014, 4 the rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adults was 15.2 per 100,000, and in Veterans, 35.3 per 100,000. One thing I’d like to see in 2017 is the use of Figure 2: Gone, but never forgotten. FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Meaninglessuse 33 individuals before they manifest symptoms Sources: 1 such as drug dependence or suicidal ideation. Gervain, Vines, Chen, Seo, Hensch, Werker, and Unemployment, debt, joblessness, and despair Young. Valproate reopens critical-period learning of are the causes; drug addiction and suicide are the absolute pitch. symptoms. Let’s use analytics to stop the problem https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ at its root. PMC3848041/ American Society of Addiction Medicine. Opioid 2 #3– Use Of Prophylactic Nootropics To Fix Addiction 2016 Facts and Figures. The Economy http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/ advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-figures.pdf Pollini, R.A.; Banta-Green, C.J.; Cuevas-Mota, J.; 3 I must admit this is a bit of a stretch goal here. If Metzner, M.; Teshale, E.; and Garfein, R.S. Problematic we can use Big Data to find safer ways to promote use of prescription-type opioids prior to heroin use neuroplasticity in adults and to identify the root among young heroin injectors. Subst Abuse Rehabil economic and social causes of despair and self- 2(1):173–180, 2011. destructive behavior, then the logical follow on is Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 4 to have a protocol of prophylactic nootropics to “Increase in Suicide in the United States, 1999-2014.” retrain at-risk individuals. They would be equipped http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/ with skills that would enable them to prosper and succeed in today’s knowledge economy. db241.htm Trainees will be provided with biometric monitoring to check their stress levels and determine the efficacy of this program, allowing ABOUT THE AUTHOR for continuous improvement. The future won’t be Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World using Ford’s assembly line methodology and giving soma to After being bitten by a radioactive the population. Instead, the future will be Iain arachnid, Mike Farahbakhshian M. Banks’ The Player of Games using Toyota’s Kaizen methodology and giving nootropics to the swore to use his powers for good. population. And it will be grand. Unfortunately, since the arachnid in question was a dust mite, Mike’s only powers are to act From Jeffersonian to Jetsonian Society as an indoor allergen. Mike went with his backup plan of becoming a Health Information Technologist. Since 2001, he has served in a variety of technical, managerial, As we move to the future, we need to abandon the and growth roles. Mike currently serves as Associate Vice idea that different sectors of society stand alone or President, Health Care Business Development for By Light subordinate to each other. Health, economics, and computation are interlinked in a web that shows Professional IT Services, where his moderate power comes ripples and unintended effects decades later. It’s with moderate responsibility. In his spare time, Mike enjoys time to acknowledge, report, and analyze those screenwriting, tabletop gaming, heaving giant stones, and effects. Only then can we understand that society serving as a role model for people with very poor judgement. itself is an organism; complex but not inscrutable. Mike can be reached at [email protected] With the right tools and the right thinking, or by shining the Mite-Signal towards the nearest cobweb. 2017 might just be the year we stop treating the symptoms and start treating the disease. By Light is an ISO 9001:2008 CVE- verified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) that provides a broad Editor’s Note: For additional Meaningless Use articles, range of hardware, software, engineering, visit FedHealthIT.com to read more installments of and IT integration services. this recurring series. FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
fedhealthit executiVe inSightS and PerSPectiVeS
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36 Article What’S in Store at himSS nca BY DIANA CEBAN & LAURA BENNETT he HIMSS NCA chapter is at the ABOUT THE AUTHORS forefront of everything Federal Health TIT and has grown significantly in the past 3 years. Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Diana Ceban, HIMSS NCA National Capital Area (NCA) Chapter is the only President – Diana is an active chapter of HIMSS that is federally focused. member of the chapter with a focus on Board Strategic For 2017 we are focused on bringing topics Initiatives and Programs. Diana of interest to our membership base during currently serves as a Director, our usual third Thursdays of the month at Business Development the Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn, VA. at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). Mrs. Ceban In addition, the Chapter is creating a focuses on the federal healthcare marketplace new initiative focused on our federal with an emphasis on Health and Human stakeholders, with the objective of improving Services (HHS) and the Veterans Affairs (VA). interaction between Government and our membership base in Fed Health IT. Laura Bennett, HIMSS NCA Vice President/President For each of you, there are many opportunities for Elect – Since 2010, Laura has involvement in the Chapter. We want to provide been a tremendous support to a professional experience, networking to our the chapter acting in a variety members, and help you grow your professional of volunteer functions, from associations. Our Committee Chairs, Board, and leading Programs and HIE Advisors work as volunteers to help the Chapter initiatives and participating achieve fiscal responsibility, tactical operations, at the executive level. Laura currently serves strategy, and member outreach and support. on the Board as the Vice President/President- Elect. Laura Bennett is a Director of Healthcare We want to invite our members to join us Solutions at Ventech Solutions where she at the Leadership level and engage with us. focuses on the strategic business development As a Board, we are dedicated to teamwork for federal healthcare. and comradery in achieving our mission. We will leave you with an open invitation to UPCOMING EVENTS - SAVE THE DATE join us this year in continuing the success of the HIMSS NCA Chapter. We will work • Jan.19 - Feb. 18, 2017 together to have fun and grow personally The Impact of Technology on and professionally as we build our local Individual Health and Well-Being and HIMSS Leadership team and membership. Enabling Patient and Provider Satisfaction • March 16:The Future of MACRA: what to expect? Please contact myself or any of our Chapter Leadership directly to find out more about how • April 19 and May 18: Topic TBD you can get involved to serve our members and help transform Healthcare in our local See page 40 for the details community and across our nation. For more information visit: http://nca.himsschapter. org/About/index.aspx FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Article 37 HIMSS NCA Holiday Cheer Through Charity On December 6th, 2016, the HIMSS NCA Chapter was proud to host the 4th Annual Ugly Sweater Holiday Party in support of Toys for Tots. The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation’s most valuable resources – our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future. This year the event raised more than $1,600 in addition to six very large bags full of toys for all ages. It was our best year yet!! CORMAC A HEALTH IT COMPANY SPECIALIZING IN DATA MANAGEMENT CORMAC Corporation is a Federal Health IT and Data Management firm serving HHS, primarily CMS. Over the past 14 years, we have grown approximately $12 million in revenue and 55 employees. During this time, we have gained Medicare/Medicaid knowledge and continue to hone institutional CMS business processes, IT, Data and Systems Knowledge. This partnership has enabled us to collaborate with CMS business centers and contractors to operate, maintain, and enhance CMS systems across a total of 12 prime contracts since 2002. www.cormac-corp.com Woman-Owned \ SBA 8(a) \ SDB | DUNS #: 122154771 | GSA IT 70 - SIN 132-51 \ CMS SPARC IDIQ
38 Featurearticle toP hit m&a trendS for 2017: StorYbook endingS for the Well PoSitioned BY MARC B. MARLIN “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most attractive Federal HIT firm of them all?”, said the strategic thinking corporate development officer. “The last deal you did, and the next one you will,” replied the magic mirror.” f only it was that easy! On the heels of a historic stock market rally following the November Ielection that has market valuations approaching all-time highs (at the time of this article), M&A appetite is front and center for government contractors of all sizes. Notwithstanding ongoing portfolio shaping, building scale, and “refocusing on the core,” industry foundations have settled and M&A desires are thriving. The quest for growth points towards opportunities in HIT, and M&A as designation may have a similar effect on awardees the conduit to establish or augment competitive given the flexible use of the vehicle across a broad positioning. While M&A strategies remain firm- base of federal customers. Hopefully, graduated specific, the following M&A story lines should CIOSP3 set-aside holders won’t be sent to the drive value and HIT deal activity in 2017. dungeon. Prime, F&O vehicles drive enterprise value and M&A attractiveness given the often scarcity of such vehicle positions and associated Are SPARC and CIOSP3 Princes or Toads? large, semi-protected market opportunity. As we saw from the multiple acquisitions under the The fate of the SPARC (large and small) protests SPARC predecessor ESD contract (ViPS, 2020, and CIOSP3 recertification and on-ramp may Maricom, Buccaneer, etc.), we see the potential for present the opportunity for new players and SPARC and CIOSP3 to encourage M&A activity in incumbents to drive revenue and target significant the coming year. funding across the HIT landscape. During the SPARC protest, CMS has leveraged CIOSP3 Keep the Plot Lines Simple: One Prince, One Princess, set-asides but required recertification at the task order (“TO”) level; an untraditional procurement One Villain and They Live Happily Ever Afer request. This approach has not only limited the playing field, to include boxing out many of the The simpler the corporate story, the clearer mid-size players but also discouraged enterprise the M&A rationale. Too much diversity across value creation for the fortunate TO awardees. The a business simply challenges internal norms ability for set-aside SPARC awardees to compete of many larger buyers (typically organized by for full and open (“F&O”) TOs, or CMS to no longer customer vertical). Having a clear identity more require a TO recert presents a roadmap for SPARC succinctly fills or augments a suitor’s strategic gap. awardees to drive enterprise value. For CIOSP3, Customer depth and intimacy should continue to decisions whether to on-ramp graduated small drive M&A value into 2017. A prime example business incumbents or sustain the CIOSP3 “other” was the recent acquisition of Edaptive Systems FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Featurearticle 39 by ManTech. Edaptive, a CMS focused firm, in support of healthcare.gov. Chaos breeds augments ManTech’s CMS footprint affording opportunity. The question is who will be the belles it not only additional capabilities but also past of the ball this time around. performance and customer intimacy, leverageable on anticipated SPARC procurements and HHS There are Many Attractive Kingdoms opportunities more broadly. In 2017, the crystal ball suggests more focused M&A, as bets by many We anticipate firms to continue to broaden the of the larger players seeking a fully built health customer footprint of their Kingdom. What was an platform (e.g., Maximus’ acquisition of Acentia in M&A priority of CMS has quickly expanded to the 2015) have been made. broader HHS, NIH, VA, FDA, and CDC markets. While each submarket has their own dynamics and Who Has the Magic Wand and What Can It Do? requires the aforementioned intimacy, there is a strategic connection amongst acquirers looking at Technology, technology, and more technology. a broader HIT strategy. For example, Cognosante, While many Federal-health focused firms are a traditional HHS and S&L focused firm, acquired customer deep and capability broad, there are select Business Information Technology Solutions horizontal capabilities that remain of particular (BITS), a recently awarded T4NG unrestricted interest. Buyers cannot seem to get enough data holder. The strategy here, like many other HIT analytics and next-generation IT (cloud, mobile, deals, is expansion into a new customer. BITS cyber, and digital). It’s all about the capabilities not only brings Cognosante the vehicle but past that drive mission. This was supremely evident performance and relationships. Building out the in the Truven (IBM) and Aquilent (Booz Allen) health customer set is nothing new, and a strategy deals in 2016. Firms with the next great “widgit” anticipated to continue in full force for 2017. or ability to create magic with tools will remain in high demand. Firms with expertise in next M&A is very personal and unique to the specific generation IT and data analytics are perceived to strategy of the buyer. As the magic mirror replied, hold the keys to the castle to unlock better care and the most attractive and important is the last one improved outcomes at reduced costs. done, and next one you’ll do. The rest of the story is yet to be told; perhaps the next chapter taking Adventure Awaits - place outside the gates of the Magic Kingdom at HiMSS this winter. What Opportunities Will the New Administration Bring? Firms will look to capitalize on opportunities driven ABOUT THE AUTHOR by changes in the new administration’s priorities. Over the past decade, we saw firms accelerate Marc Marlin is a Managing Director growth curves on the wave of digitization and at KippsDeSanto & Co., a boutique the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Implementation investment bank focused on the aerospace/defense, and government of ACA and ancillary programs funded billions technology solutions sectors. Marc of dollars in contractor opportunity. Proposed has a broad base of experience in providing transaction change to existing programs, irrespective of advisory services, with a particular focus on mergers the magnitude of those changes, should create and acquisitions for professional services and software surge opportunities in areas such as application companies. Past clients include Edaptive Systems, Danya International, 2020, GlobalNet Services, development. For example, in late 2014 Accenture 7Delta, Magellan Health, and General Dynamics, was granted a contract for more than $500 million amongst others. FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
40 Upcomingevents keY uPcoming federal health it eVentS to attend BY ERIC KLOS While it’s harder to anticipate the impact of the new Administration on agency supported events, we anticipate that the main ones will continue. Here is a list of Fed Health IT events that you will want to consider as you build out your 2017 budget. Where necessary dates are projected with links to any past conferences held. HIMSS 2017: Conference & Exhibition Where the Brightest Minds in Health and IT HIMSS NCA Meet. For the Federal Health IT professional, HIMSS can be an overwhelming spectacle as Monthly Educational Programs 19 th -23 rd Feb the FedHIT market constitutes a small fraction of the sessions and exhibits. However, there are • Jan.19 - Feb. 18, 2017 Jan to May The Impact of Technology on always several key presenters and organizations in attendance and the conference does provide a great Individual Health and Well-Being and opportunity to meet with prospective customers Enabling Patient and Provider Satisfaction and partners in a casual setting. • March 16: The Future of MACRA: what to expect? • April 19 and May 18: Topic TBD Irrespective of the lineup or topic, the National LOCATION: Orlando, FL Capital Area chapter for HIMSS regularly draws VA Healthcare 2017 in Federal Health IT leaders from across industry and government and the networking alone makes VA Healthcare 2017 is specifically designed to bring this worth the trip. With government and industry leaders within the VA together from across the involvement, the topic areas are timely and directly nation to discuss best practices, new technologies, relate to programs and projects trending towards 15 th -17 th May and facilities, as well as discuss the challenges and opportunity during the year. opportunities for the future. This event was well attended in 2016 and we would expect great interest Military Healthcare Summit as firms work to understand new administration objectives. LOCATION: Washington, DC This will be an early opportunity to focus on military 27 th Feb-Mar 1 healthcare under the new incoming Administration By May, initiatives begun under the incoming Defense Strategies’ Institute and following the FY2017 NDAA which transfers 12th DoD/VA EHR and HIT Summit operational authority for the military treatment facilities to the Defense Health Agency by October 2018. LOCATION: Washington, DC expect this spring gathering to be well attended and 8th Health Datapalooza 2017 31 st May-1 st June Trump Administration will be well underway, so a great networking opportunity. To get a glimpse of the proceedings of this summit held twice a year, With strong government support, this 8th 27 th -28 th April iteration is billed as a gathering place for people the primary findings and solutions identified as part view the latest Post-Summit report. It highlights and organizations creating knowledge from of the past October event that included more than a data and pioneering innovations that drive dozen leaders from across VA, DoD, and the larger health policy and practice. This is the 2nd year Federal Health IT community. for the event under the direction and leadership ** Note DSI usually has a fall event in October, of AcademyHealth. LOCATION: Washington, DC but the data has yet to be determined. LOCATION: Alexandria, VA FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
Upcomingevents 41 3rd Annual FedHealthIT Public Health Innovation Awards Informatics Conference May The 3nd Annual FedHealthIT Innovation Awards Out of town conferences can be a challenge from a budget perspective, but if you aim to will be held in May. This event recognizes the top Federal Health IT programs and initiatives happening across DHA, VA, CMS, and HHS. Late August play in the expanding field of Public Health, this is an investment to consider. Historically Attended by more than 250 Federal Health IT very focused on CDC, this conference does draw leaders from across Government and Industry, this in public health leaders from across HHS, with is a great opportunity to network and celebrate the a heavy focus on digital health communications. innovative programs being driven by the Federal LOCATION: Atlanta, GA Health IT community today. LOCATION: Washington, DC National Veterans VA Technology Small Business Engagement Acquisition Center Open House With the ever present ‘Rule of Two”, veteran small businesses are in high demand for The annual trek to Eatontown is expected to Mid-June occur again in mid-June. In 2016, this event November partnering opportunities at VA. With over 3000 registrants, it’s the signature event for transitioned to an Open House. Look for the the Veterans small business community but the usual networking opportunities before, during, and after the event. For those who have not makers (including many VA) lures many a journeyed to Eatontown before, this is almost presence of over 400 procurement decision- a required gathering if you are serious about Federal Health IT professional. The quality winning business at VA. of the sessions and the unique networking LOCATION: Eatontown, NJ opportunities, along with the strong presence of VA, make this a quality event to attend. 2017 Defense Health Information LOCATION: TBD Technology Symposium Health IT Day 2017 AFCEA Bethesda This will be the 4th year for DHITS. With an initial 25 th -27 th June operating capability target for MHS Genesis in Late Fall In terms of can’t miss Federal Health IT events, the spring and with the recent legislation bringing AFCEA Bethesda continues to host the premier management of all military treatment facilities event around town. If this is the primary market you under the Defense Health Agency by October 2018, serve, the sessions and networking are invaluable. It this will be an extremely important event to attend if you aim to pursue business at DHA in the years so in 2017 as the community reflects on the new ahead. often serves as a capstone for the year, but especially LOCATION: Orlando, FL Administration’s impact on Federal Health IT initiatives at and across the agencies. Convergence 2017: LOCATION: Bethesda, MD Centers for Medicare and Medicaid ABOUT THE AUTHOR 10 th Aug With a new Administration targeting healthcare Eric Klos is a Health IT SME and Advisor to reform, by August industry will be clamoring for more face time with CMS and guidance on their G2Xchange Health. Eric is the Managing Principal latest needs and priorities. Meeting key influencers and decision-makers, as well as targeted networking, of HealthTechture, a business consulting firm providing specific analysis around solution offerings, agencies, will be key to pursuing CMS opportunities in 2017 opportunities, and competition to Federal Health IT firms. In 2017, he is and beyond. launching HealtheWeather, delivering solutions to provide weather insights LOCATION: Baltimore, MD for better patient health. FedHea lthIT Ma g a zine | W inter 2017
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An EVENING for HOPE To Benefit The Children’s Inn at NIH SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2017 The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, Virginia This gala brings together a community of 800 business executives who share in the commitment to help children and advance medical research – and is a rare opportunity to network with more than 100 senior government executives. Become a sponsor Donate an auction item Buy a raffle ticket childrensinn.org/eveningforhope
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