The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has selected Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, as one of eight companies in the large business category to participate in a five-year technology and telecommunications Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quality (IDIQ) contract designed to upgrade the department�s information technology (IT) systems. With a total ceiling value of $12 billion, the Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology (T4) contracting vehicle covers services that will streamline and modernize VA operations, including patient care delivery at more than 150 VA hospitals.
The T4 program is structured to transform the VA, including the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), into a “21st century organization” that can “meet VA�s long-term technology needs” and �provide Veterans high-quality services and health care,” according to VA officials in a Congressional notification fact sheet. Other benefits of the program include government and taxpayer savings brought about by a streamlined acquisition process that reduces contract administration and facilitates healthy competition among potential contractors.
“T4 offers the VA a carefully triaged selection of industry partners that can deliver the products and services needed to achieve top clinical, operational and financial performance,” said Jim Traficant, president, Harris Healthcare Solutions. “Harris� ranking on the preferred VA partner list opens the door for us to deliver priority technologies and solutions to improve care delivery and benefits for our nation�s Veterans.”
Harris will offer the VA an array of IT services, including program management and strategic planning, systems and software engineering, enterprise networks, cyber security, operations and maintenance, IT facilities solutions, technical support and systems engineering. Locations may include Federal, State, VA, or military data centers, facilities, treatment facilities, health clinics and Tricare facilities. Having worked with the VA for many years, Harris has already provided the VHA and VBA with a broad range of IT services and solutions, including revenue consolidation and financial management services, medical imaging, bi-directional health information exchange, and virtualization of benefits enrollment and processing.
