The Status: What Has Been Done for the Modernization

There are five stages that the Health IT Modernization Program Management Office is leading to create the new, national EHR system. These stages consist of: Research, Plan, Buy and Build, Deploy, Operate. Major milestones for the Program include

Research

• The U.S. Government Accountability Office Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Report 19-471 Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  listed RPMS as a “critical federal legacy system in need of modernization”
• Two HHS Office of the Inspector General Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  reports offered ways to improve systems (A-18-16-30540 Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  and A-18-17-11400 Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov )
• Two Requests for Information (RFI), the first around an Industry Day Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  and the second consisting of a Sources Sought Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  for feedback on a Statement of Objectives
• Dear Tribal and Urban Leader Letters released with associated listening sessions held by the IHS

Plan

• Established the Division of Health Information Technology Modernization and Operations to manage the Modernization Program, with new positions released on USA Jobs
• Signed Executive Steering Committee Charter which establishes a governing body for the Modernization and guides members to seek and share input from their organizations; participate in planning; make evidence-based decisions; and communicate decisions with their network
• The IHS distributes Dear Tribal/Urban Leader Letters and hosts Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer sessions, alongside Listening Sessions
  • Announcing a series of upcoming Tribal Consultation/Urban Confer sessions [PDF] around the Health IT Modernization Program, which include updates, opportunities for participation, and next steps
  • Announcing Program updates [PDF] and asking for written feedback to the RFI containing the Statement of Objectives
  • Announcing Listening Sessions on the draft Statement of Objectives for the Modernization [PDF]
  • Announcing a data call [PDF] to inform tribal health programs and urban Indian organizations’ experiences with electronic health record (EHR) acquisitions and costs
  • Announcing the IHS decision for full replacement [PDF] of RPMS after significant Tribal and Urban engagement and input
  • Announcing Listening Sessions for input on next steps [PDF] in the Health IT Modernization Program
  • Announcing the Strategic Options for the Modernization of the Indian Health Service Health Information Technology Roadmap Executive Summary and Strategic Options for the Modernization of the Indian Health Service Health Information Technology Final Report [PDF]
  • Announcing the IHS Health IT Research Project [PDF] and first steps in evaluation options in modernizing health IT
  • Announcing two additional Listening Sessions for further input and recommendations [PDF] around how to best modernize the RPMS EHR
  • Announcing two Listening Sessions for input and recommendations [PDF] around approaches to best modernize the RPMS EHR

Buy and Build

The IHS reached a major milestone in the Buy and Build stage of the Modernization Program with the selection of an enterprise Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. Read more about the selection in the online press release.

• The IHS followed a federal acquisition process open to all vendors that:
  • Applied lessons learned from other federal agencies and experience from Tribal and Urban partners.
  • Used a cross-disciplinary technical evaluation panel, with additional subject matter experts, that evaluated submitted proposals.
• Throughout the selection process, the IHS coordinated with Tribal and Urban Indian Organization partners through two listening sessions, an Industry Day, seven Tribal Consultation and Urban Indian Confer events, and the participation of hundreds of Tribal, Urban, and IHS system users in vendor product demonstrations.
• The IHS selected General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (GDIT) to build, configure, and maintain a new IHS enterprise EHR system that uses Oracle Health technology.
  • GDIT will serve as systems integrator to pull together multiple aspects of the EHR solution, manage a large team of subcontractors, and monitor that the new system works with other hardware, software, and operational components at each site.
  • Oracle Health will provide its enterprise EHR solution as a member of the GDIT team.
• The IHS chose GDIT because they:
  • Had the strongest overall technical approach.
  • Demonstrated experience deploying complex information technology systems for the federal government.
  • Showed a record of strong past performance.
  • Offered a widely adopted EHR product that was well-received by users who participated in scenario-based demonstration sessions.

Deploy

More information to come.

Operate

More information to come.