The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to spend $10.9 million to improve HIPAA compliance for VistA, its enterprise-wide electronic health record system.
The government contract recently awarded to Engineering Services Network (ESN) is valued at $7.9 million for the first year. If all options are awarded, it will be worth a total of $10.9 million.
Under the contract, ESN will upgrade the VA's Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) to meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) electronic transaction standards, enabling third-party healthcare revenues/payments - 5010/D.0.
The enhancements must be ready for external testing by January 2011 and be in production by January 2012.
Under the contract, ESN is tasked with providing 13 specific enhancements to VistA legacy products.
"ESN is pleased to support the VA in this critical project supporting HIPAA compliance for VistA legacy systems by providing IT solutions to the department's internal customers, end-users and our veterans," said ESN President and CEO Raymond F. Lopez, Jr.
ESN provides information technology, engineering and business consulting services for the U.S. military, Veterans Affairs, and other federal agencies.
Working with ESN on the project are team members from Harris Patriot Healthcare Solutions, Vangent and 7 Delta.
