Keeping IT Brief

Global geopolitical changes, weather, health and macroeconomics play a part in managing our everyday supply chain. Addressing these factors while accounting for operational agency challenges are becoming a critical part of a supply chain practitioners job. Gaps in reliable, complete data, integrated analysis, undocumented risk assessment procedures, and unclear roles and responsibilities are contributing factors to a vulnerable supply chain risk management program. Elizabeth (“Beth”) Van Absher, Director of the NIH Division of Logistics Services (DLS), and Moshe Nelson, Partner in Guidehouse’s Defense & Security Segment, provide public and private sector perspectives on how we can collectively further supply chain resilience.Elizabeth Van Absher, Director of Logistics Services and Supply Chain Management, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Elizabeth "Beth" Van Absher is the director of Logistics Services and Supply Chain Management at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) overseeing $1.9B worth of accountable personal property, fleet, and the NIH Supply Center (NIHSC). The NIHSC is the agency’s priority source for laboratory, fire, safety, and administrative supplies, and is the agency’s mandated source for personal protective equipment (PPE). Van Absher is the lead for the NIH Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) Council, in addition to serving as the agency representative on the HHS SCRM. She is a critical driver of good for government outcomes, ensuring supply chain stability through strategic sourcing, enterprise data sharing, collaboration, and modernization.Van Absher is an integral part of the NIH and HHS teams to implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Public Law 117-58, collaborating across acquisitions, policy, HHS agencies and suppliers to ensure compliance with IIJA. Beth was also the lead for the PPE Plan of Action under Section 708 of the Defense Production Act in Response to COVID-19, during which the NIH Supply Center provided critical PPE to national intake sites on behalf of HHS to volunteers, children, families, and refugees. She also served as the agency lead for nitrile glove enterprise sourcing on behalf of HHS’s BuySmarter program.Moshe Nelson, Partner GuidehouseBio: Moshe has provided supply chain management strategy, technology, and analytics across the public and private sector for nearly twenty years. As a result, clients have reduced operating costs by over $300M, fielded advanced technologies in an efficient and effective manner, and established accountable and data driven means for critical lifecycle supply chain management. Moshe has supported the health, defense, homeland security, diplomatic, and infrastructure arenas to improve supply chain resiliency across the United States.GuidehouseGuidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public sector and commercial markets, with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. By combining our public and private sector expertise, we help clients address their most complex challenges and navigate significant regulatory pressures focusing on transformational change, business resiliency, and technology-driven innovation. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and digital services, we create scalable, innovative solutions that help our clients outwit complexity and position them for future growth and success.

The public focus of EHR modernization has been on configuring a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution that blends all the requirements that are unique to the VA with a system that is widely used in the commercial sector. But equally or even more importantly, the VA needs to continue to invest in, maintain, and upgrade its current EHR – the Veterans Health Information System Technology Architecture (VistA).Today we discuss these insights which are from a recent Federal News Network guest article authored by David Whitmer, FACHE, vice president for federal operations at DSS Inc. David also discusses how no matter what the outcome of the COTS solution, VistA will remain the vital backbone of VA operations.David Whitmer, FACHE, Vice President for Federal Operations at DSS Inc.Mr. Whitmer is the Vice President, Federal Operations at DSS Inc., and is a board-certified healthcare executive with 30 years of public health experience at the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Health Administration, including 20 years in C-suite positions, and 10 years as member of the Senior Executive Service.DSS Inc.Document Storage Systems, Inc. (DSS) is a catalyst for health care innovation, keeping pace with evolving technologies as a solutions provider, systems integrator, and services contractor to the Department of Veterans Affairs. DSS is committed to assisting VA in its High Reliability Organization journey and delivering care quality for Veterans by meeting top initiatives, changing regulatory requirements, and implementing enhanced business transformation across VA enterprise.

Every day in the United States, thousands of legitimate prescriptions for the opioid class of pharmaceuticals are written to mitigate acute pain during post-operation recovery, chronic back and neck pain, and a host of other cases where patients experience moderate-to-severe discomfort. While many of these drugs provide pain relief, the potential for misuse and outright abuse due to their addictive nature is extremely high.Since the 1990s, opioid abuse in the U.S. skyrocketed to the point that in 2017 the Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. This epidemic affects more than just individuals – families and communities, as well as the U.S. healthcare system at the federal, state, and local level, carry this burden emotionally and financially.Solving this crisis can and should be supported by insights gained from the vast amounts of data available to healthcare providers and government agencies. The healthcare industry, in partnership with government agencies, must engage with a robust modern data management solution that can extract electronic health data in the form of controlled substance data, prescriber data, and patient data and transform it into meaningful, measurable, and actionable information.  Today we talk with Rob Carey, the President of Cloudera Government Solutions on this topic.Rob Carey, President of Cloudera Government SolutionsAs a highly recognized executive, Rob Carey leads the public sector team at Cloudera Government Solutions during a time in government when data-centric projects and digital transformation is of the utmost importance. As former U.S. Navy CIO and Deputy DOD CIO, Carey uses his 30+ years of federal experience to apply what’s needed to meet the standards for the future of IT modernization in government. He supports customers across the federal civilian and defense sector as they continue to navigate data-driven challenges and work to meet key White House directives.Cloudera Government SolutionsGovernment agencies are faced with a multitude of challenges, including aging legacy systems, fraud and abuse, and sophisticated cyberattacks. More than ever, they need a proven platform that can securely manage their data. Cloudera Government Solutions addresses these challenges by simplifying data acquisition and delivery – providing public sector leaders with the insights they need to make better and more timely decisions.Cloudera Government Solutions partners with federal, state and local, and higher education institutions to support data security and governance mandates, modernize data architectures across any platform, and meet the zero-trust mandate related to data flow. With customers across 40 global governments, Cloudera can accelerate data movement and digital transformation to accomplish your mission. 

Dr. Richard Stone, Retired Army Major General who served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the US Army discusses how we as a nation can provide better medical care to our veterans during the next medical crisis, he looks into this and more in his memoir, "Save Every Life You Can".Dr. Richard Stone, Retired Army Major General who served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the US Army, currently a Specialist Executive at DeloitteDr. Richard Stone has served in a myriad of leadership positions over his more than 40 years as a medical doctor. He is a combat experienced veteran, having served in Afghanistan during an Army career that culminated in his service as the US Army Deputy Surgeon General. Dr Stone was called back to Federal service as the Executive in Charge and Acting Under Secretary of the Veterans Health Administration, serving for more than three years as the leader of America’s largest health care system through the most challenging health crisis in more than one hundred years.Dr. Stone’s book "Save Every Life You Can: A Reflection on Leadership and Saving Lives during the COVID-19 Pandemic" is a reflection on leadership and saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. This memoir describes the extraordinary challenges the Department of Veterans Affairs faced and the personal stories of his team as they worked against the clock in a pandemic unique in more than 100 years. It also describes the principles of leadership that informed and guided Dr. Stone, and his thoughts on what we learned as a nation about health care delivery as we prepare for the next once-in-a-hundred-year crisis. 

As of January 1, 2024, CMS implemented new policies for addressing health-related social needs (HRSN) to proactively treat and better understand the needs of our country's most underserved and chronically ill populations. These policies will support physicians that help patients identify and connect with the appropriate clinical and community resources to address unmet HRSN that may influence a patient's treatment.Today we speak with Kamala Green, social drivers of health program manager at National Government Services, and we discuss as social, economic, and physical factors affecting patient health evolve and diversify, it's important that federal health agencies continue to prioritize health equity practices and initiatives to provide the highest quality of care possible for every citizen. Kamala Green, social drivers of health program manager at National Government Services, an Elevance Health CompanyIn her current position as the Social Drivers of Health Program Manager at National Government Services, Kamala assists with strategic design, implementation and evaluation of social drivers of health initiatives, where she partners to recommend initiatives related to unmet social needs, such as food, housing, legal support and income. Since joining NGS in November 2021, Kamala is instrumental in level setting and shaping the agenda for health equity and the social drivers of health (SDOH), specifically for Medicare.National Government ServicesFor more than 50 years, National Government Services has been empowering federal healthcare agencies to improve lives and communities and deliver care to millions of Americans through outcome-driven innovation. The company helps bridge the technology gap to make IT an enabler of healthcare, not an obstacle to operations. Its core business areas include digital health, providing federal IT solutions and services for healthcare, and business process solutions. This includes its role as a Medicare contractor for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 

Today we speak with Erick Peters, Chief Technology Officer, and Jackie Ackerman, Vice President, Data and Analytics, of Cognosante on how healthcare agencies and departments can make smarter decisions and deliver improved citizen services through data sharing that’s powered by automation, AI, and data & analytics insights.We deep dive into: How cloud, data, AI can remove boundaries between public health agencies and departments -- AND other agencies dependent on them How we lead with privacy and security, interoperability  How governance ensures data is reliable and accurate Erick Peters, Chief Technology Officer, Cognosante Erick Peters is a technology-focused leader with over 25 years of experience in enterprise solution development, solution architecture, and information technology security. Erick leads technology teams to solve customers’ most difficult challenges, leveraging strategy, innovation, partnerships, and emerging trends.  His leadership ensures Cognosante’s technology evolution results in innovative solution development across the organization’s service portfolio, which includes Healthcare Interoperability, Cloud, Cybersecurity, DevSecOps, Data Science, and Enterprise Architecture. The solutions the company develops help Federal and state organizations meet their missions to deliver critical customer programs built on a purposeful, tailored, and evolving foundation of proven and emerging technologies. A Navy Veteran and a graduate of Nuclear Power School, Erick earned a Bachelor of Nuclear Engineering Technology and a Master of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. Jackie Ackerman, Vice President, Data and Analytics, CognosanteJackie Ackerman leads the Data and Analytics team at Cognosante, leveraging over 25 years of experience in military intelligence and civilian IT. With expertise in building and implementing modern cloud data solutions, she and her team transform data and drive interoperability for Federal and state government organizations. Her knowledge of data and analytics best practices, modern technologies, and proven intelligence techniques informs Cognosante’s innovative approach to delivering data as a product that solves complex problems.   The Data team’s culture and approach to innovation led them to win the Snowflake Challenge by leveraging third-party healthcare data to predict virus spread and guide pre-emptive vaccine distribution. Her team also participated in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Mission Daybreak Challenge with an analytics solution that identified at-risk Veterans prior to crisis and provides recommendations on best intervention timing and methods. Cognosante Passion. Purpose. Innovation. At Cognosante, we believe we can create a safer, healthier, more equitable nation for all. With an innovative mindset and unwavering dedication, we help healthcare, civilian and defense agencies deliver exceptional public services and programs. Our industry-leading technology and customer experience (CX) solutions bridge intentions and outcomes, solving critical challenges and creating meaningful change. Whether we are modernizing systems, enabling greater access to public benefits, or delivering mission-critical programs, we innovate with purpose, touching the lives of millions of people. For more information, visit cognosante.com.  

 The AIM-AHEAD program mission is to enhance the participation of underrepresented communities in the development of AI/ML models. The program improves the capabilities of this emerging technology, beginning with electronic health records (EHR) and extending to other diverse data to address health disparities and inequities.Today we speak with the CEO and Founder of stackArmor Gaurav "GP" Pal on their program. Gaurav “GP” Pal, CEO and Founder of stackArmorGaurav “GP” Pal, CEO and Founder, has over 20 years of IT consulting experience with large US Government, Defense, and Commercial Organizations driving cloud adoption and implementing NIST security standards for FedRAMP, FISMA, and DFARS/CMMC 2.0 compliance.GP’s countless industry and government relationships led stackArmor to establish an AI Risk Management Center of Excellence (CoE), comprised of former prominent federal government technology experts, including Maria Roat, Suzette Kent and Richard Spires. stackArmor and its CoE work closely with government to ensure safe AI adoption.stackArmor stackArmor provides FedRAMP, StateRAMP, DOD CC SRG, FISMA/RMF, and CMMC/DFARS compliance acceleration services on leading hyperscale cloud providers. stackArmor’s ATO for AI™ and ThreatAlert® ATO Accelerator Security Platform reduces the time and cost of an ATO by 40%. We serve enterprise customers in Defense, Aerospace, Space, Government, and Healthcare markets as well as ISV’s looking to offer cloud solutions for Government. 

Enhancing performance, readiness, and resilience for service members and their families is paramount for several reasons. First and foremost, optimized performance ensures military effectiveness, which is critical for national defense. Next, readiness that encompasses whole health, preparedness, and skill development ensures that service members have what they need for rapid response to evolving threats. Finally, building resilience to maintain their well-being is crucial for coping with the unique challenges faced by military service members and their families. Today, Kevin Kaiser, serving as Division Manager, Performance and Readiness at Leidos, takes a look at how improved performance, readiness, and resilience not only contributes to mission success, but also enhances the overall quality of life – reinforcing the military's capability to navigate dynamic scenarios while prioritizing the physical, mental, and emotional welfare of those dedicated to serving their nation.Kevin Kaiser serves as Division Manager, Performance and Readiness at Leidos and has 30 years of experience managing and executing tasks on military health contracts in the areas of performance, readiness, and research involving more than 1,400 employees supporting dozens of programs across the United States and international locations. Kaiser graduated from UCLA in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and then earned a master’s degree in public health at San Diego State University in 1994, with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics.  

Today we speak with Amanda Warfield.  Amanda currently leads the Optum Serve program integrity practice, overseeing support and integration of key IT capabilities and solutions for Federal agencies.Amanda Warfield Amanda manages a portfolio of projects supporting agencies across the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, while supporting growth and strategic direction for the organization. She also spearheads Optum Serve’s internal research and development investments in cutting edge technologies and solutions designed to meet emerging federal needs. Her works includes fostering collaboration across Optum’s enterprise, identifying opportunities for private to public partnerships to solve problems. Amanda has worked with Federal government clients for more than a decade in designing and implementing approaches to tackle key challenges like fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. She holds a master’s degree in communication management and is certified in SAFe agile, and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).Optum Serve  As the federal health services business of Optum and UnitedHealth Group, Optum Serve offers federal agencies the robust health IT solutions that have proven successful at one of the largest health care organizations in the world — UnitedHealth Group. Our unrivaled health care knowledge combined with our end-to-end technology allows us to be a unique and reliable partner.

The healthcare sector is ramping up activity regarding its implementation of AI technology. Recently, the American Hospital Association expressed support for a “sector-specific” approach to AI regulations to both mitigate patient risk and allow organizations to harness the potential of these technologies. The following week, the NSA launched the AI Security Center to lead AI security protocols, analyzing its effect on U.S. hospitals and health systems.As healthcare organizations continue to adopt AI solutions into their operational workflows, it’s imperative that the benefits and risks are thoroughly analyzed, and proper security regulations are in place to protect patient data while providing the highest quality of care available. Judy Jiao, Chief Information Officer at National Government Services, an Elevance Health CompanyJudy Jiao serves as the Chief Information Officer at National Government Services. She’s leading the organization through a digital transformation based on human-centered design, which is in alignment with the government’s path to modernization. With over 20 years of experience in the health care industry, she’s driven by her passion to help people improve their health conditions. Judy takes pride in providing the best business technology solutions possible to advance the effectiveness and quality of health care.  National Government ServicesFor more than 50 years, National Government Services has been empowering federal healthcare agencies to improve lives and communities and deliver care to millions of Americans through outcome-driven innovation. The company helps bridge the technology gap to make IT an enabler of healthcare, not an obstacle to operations. Its core business areas include digital health, providing federal IT solutions and services for healthcare, and business process solutions. This includes its role as a Medicare contractor for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 

Is AI gearing up to take over the world?  Today we talk with Art Villanueva the Chief AI/ML Technology Architect at Dell Federal Strategic Programs about the types of AI and what he sees for the future.Art VillanuevaChief AI/ML Technology ArchitectDell Federal Strategic ProgramsDr. Art Villanueva is the Chief AI/ML Technology Architect for Dell Technologies’ Federal Strategic Programs where he advises, evangelizes, and molds Dell Federal’s posture in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence. Prior to Dell, Dr. Villanueva’s experience spanned multiple other industries. In the Defense sector, he served as Chief Architect for billion-dollar programs at Northrop Grumman. In the public transportation arena, he led systems engineering activities for large-scale city-wide transportation systems at Cubic. Dr. Villanueva was a successful entrepreneur, having co-founded two startups in the sustainable energy industry, one now publicly trading on NASDAQ. Dr. Villanueva is an inventor, holding utility patents and publishing peer-reviewed papers. He holds a D.Eng. degree in Systems Engineering from Colorado State University, specializing in meta-algorithmics for natural language processing, an M.A.S. degree in Architecture-based Enterprise Systems Engineering from UCSD, and a B.S. degree in Applied Mathematics with a Specialization in Computing from UCLA.Dell TechnologiesDell Technologies is a global technology leader, with a strong commitment to advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions both through internal research and development and strategic partnerships. Leveraging their extensive expertise in hardware, software, and services, Dell Technologies empowers organizations to harness the full potential of AI and ML to solve their most challenging use cases. Dell offers a comprehensive portfolio of AI-ready infrastructure, including powerful servers and storage solutions designed to accelerate AI workloads. Dell also collaborates with leading AI partners, resulting in innovative and tailored solutions for various industries, from healthcare, energy, defense, and virtually any other industry. Dell ensures that customers have access to cutting-edge AI technologies and expertise, enabling them to unlock new insights and drive digital transformation. Their commitment to AI ethics and responsible AI development underscores their dedication to delivering ethical and secure AI implementations in collaboration with their trusted partners.

As the federal government makes continuous strides toward modernizing health IT programs, such as the federal EHR program, healthcare organizations have become a prime target for cybercriminals given the incredible volume of sensitive data and digitized patient records. At the same time, healthcare agencies must have the ability to share, access and analyze critical data to support projects focused on population health and patient journey or patient experience. Today we talk to Mark Mellott, Executive VP of DOD and VA at iTech AG, to discuss: The essential role cybersecurity strategies play in federal healthcare initiatives and why it's essential for sensitive topics/data. Steps for overcoming barriers in the ability to share healthcare/patient data, such as adopting platform governance structures. How healthcare agencies can effectively modernize without compromising security through a Zero Trust approach.   Mark Mellott, Executive Vice President of Defense and Veteran Affairs Mark Mellott is the Executive Vice President of Defense and Veteran Affairs for iTech AG. He leverages his government, military, and health IT background to help defense agencies streamline operations and create impactful results through modern IT solutions.Mark retired from the U.S. Army after more than 24 years of service. Additionally, Mark is a Senior Lecturer at Clemson University for the Master of Public Administration Program (MPA). He is published in peer-reviewed academic and professional journals and has presented his work at various conferences and consortia. iTech AGFounded in 2008, iTech AG is a technology consulting firm that helps federal, state, local, and private organizations streamline their operations to achieve better, faster, and more predictable results. Using a wide range of innovative solutions, the company modernizes customers’ systems and processes to help them unlock their true potential. iTech AG is the only 8(a) disadvantaged small business that is a ServiceNow Elite Partner, and were recently awarded 8(a) STARS III, a Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) vehicle with a $50 billion ceiling. 

 The DOD’s Defense Healthcare Management System Modernization program, known as DHMSM, is a technology and healthcare transformation project designed to standardize the delivery of healthcare for nearly 10 million service members and their families. DHMSM is a program management office under the Program Executive Office, Defense Healthcare Management Systems (PEO DHMS)The MHS GENESIS electronic health record system, developed by PEO DHMS and the Leidos Partnership for Defense Health, is a commercial solution that connects inpatient and outpatient medical and dental information, from the point of injury to the military treatment facility, providing a single longitudinal record. DHMSM leads MHS GENESIS deployment.PEO DHMS and LPDH have now successfully deployed MHS GENESIS to all primary DOD location in the Continual United States (CONUS). The team is now taking additional steps to deploy the system overseas through OCONUS waves in Europe and Asia by the end of 2023, as well as to a joint VA-DOD facility in early 2024.I’m joined today by Col. Christina Sheets, DHMSM program manager, and Mr. Raymond Okeke, Senior Vice President, and LPDH program manager.Col. Christina Sheets, DOD Healthcare System Modernization (DHMSM) Program ManagerCol. Christina Sheets of the United States Air Force serves as the program manager for the DOD Healthcare Management System Modernization (DHMSM) program management office. In this role, she provides acquisition leadership and management expertise for deploying the Department of Defense's electronic health record, MHS GENESIS. Col. Sheets is also a practicing dentist.Raymond Okeke, Senior Vice President, and LPDH program manager at LeidosMr. Raymond Okeke currently leads and manages the Leidos Partnership for Defense Health (LPDH) to execute the $4.3B Defense Healthcare Management System Modernization (DHMSM) program. LPDH is a diverse team, with two dozen partner companies and ~5,000 employees dedicated to building, deploying and innovating the MHS GENESIS Electronic Health Record (EHR) system for the Department of Defense (DOD) and other Federal government agencies.MHS GENESIS, with 60+ system interfaces and over 1,000 workflows, is arguably the world’s largest single, modern EHR system and is transforming the way the DOD provides military and veteran healthcare. Deployed to over 3,000 locations worldwide with more than 160,000 end-users, the system delivers and documents healthcare for nearly 7 million beneficiaries (9.6 million beneficiaries when fully deployed in 2024).About DHMSM: DHMSM leads DOD deployment and sustainment activities for MHS GENESIS, the federal sector’s modernized electronic health record. DHMSM is a program management office under Defense Healthcare Management Systems (DHMS); DHMS reports directly to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.About Leidos: Leidos is a Fortune 500® technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil and health markets. Leidos' 46,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $14.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2022. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.  

The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) announced the latest round of CX investments, and as part of the current funding round, the VA has been awarded $7.4 million to help streamline veterans’ access to health care, disability benefits, and education by digitizing forms.Today, we speak with Rita Breen of NGS on how IT modernization initiatives such as the digitization of government forms can drastically improve CX and EX at federal health agencies. However, to ensure such initiatives are successful and deliver maximum value for users, it’s imperative to utilize human-centered design (HCD) principles. Rita Breen, Agile and Human-Centered Design Practices Director at National Government Services, an Elevance Health CompanyIn her current position as the Agile and Human Centered Design Practices Director at National Government Services, Rita’s primary goal is to solve mission-critical challenges for federal health customers. She has nearly two decades of project management (PM) experience and has been a part of the National Government Services team since 2018. Rita supports the technical project management and human-centered design teams that drive a customer-centered approach to federal health solutions. She and her team focus on solving major pain points while bolstering quality and improving customer experiences. Rita is truly passionate about identifying the key needs of citizens, setting actionable metrics and striving to meet them with empathy and understanding.National Government ServicesFor more than 50 years, National Government Services has been empowering federal healthcare agencies to improve lives and communities and deliver care to millions of Americans through outcome-driven innovation. The company helps bridge the technology gap to make IT an enabler of healthcare, not an obstacle to operations. Its core business areas include digital health, providing federal IT solutions and services for healthcare, and business process solutions. This includes its role as a Medicare contractor for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Adopting a CX-focused approach to AI in public health services is crucial for improving healthcare delivery in today's digital world. By harnessing the power of AI and focusing on user needs, government health agencies can drive innovation, improve results, and build a healthcare system that puts the well-being and satisfaction of people front and center. This podcast will help you understand ways to leverage CX when building AI solutions and vise versa and the outcomes achieved by integrating the two.Rujuta WaknisREI Director of Solution EngineeringRujuta Waknis is the Director of Offerings at REI Systems, with over 20 years of experience creating technology products and innovative solutions in public sector domains such as grants management and acquisitions. She is an advocate for the improvement of systems through mindful technology transformation, human centered design, data driven-decision making and AI technology. She has successfully helped modernize numerous enterprise systems for federal agencies over her career. She holds a masters degree in systems engineering from Virginia Tech.Amanda ThomasREI Principal Customer ExperienceAmanda Thomas is a Principal Customer Experience Designer at REI Systems with over 10 years of experience in product design and media production. Specializing in modernizing and optimizing complex systems, she aims to leverage emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning to enhance product outcomes. With a focus on creating intuitive user experiences, Amanda's expertise lies in transforming the way users interact with digital products.REI SystemsREI Systems provides reliable, effective, and innovative technology solutions that advance federal, state, local, and nonprofit missions. Our technologists and consultants are passionate about solving complex challenges that impact millions of lives. We take a Mindful Modernization® approach in delivering our application modernization, grants management systems, government data analytics, AI/ML, and advisory services. Mindful Modernization is the REI Way of delivering mission impact by aligning our government customers' strategic objectives to measurable outcomes through people, processes, and technology. Learn more at REIsystems.com.  

Today we speak with CDC project manager from GDIT Christi Hildebrant on the challenges of taking public health to the future and what she sees as the best paths forward.Christi Hildebrandt, CDC Project Manager, GDIT In her 25 years within the IT consulting, Christi has served in a diverse set of roles across a range of industries. For more than 15 years, Christi worked within public health implementing IT projects and providing technical assistance for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) public health. She has experience with software development and product management and has a strong understanding of data, database design, and the use of standards in software development and system integration. She cares deeply about the mission of public health and constantly strives to design and implement public health IT and process solutions that will provide for the greater good. GDITGeneral Dynamics Information Technology delivers the art of the possible to support the most complex government projects. GDIT is on the front lines of health innovation, leading the way with the technology, health systems and science that drive better health. As one of the largest systems integrators for the federal government, our 30,000 employees in 30 countries worldwide provide technical expertise and mission-critical support to ensure today is safe and tomorrow is smarter. 

Today we discuss the data modernization journey with Scott Hutchison, Solutions Architect and David Holmes, PMP, SAFe Agilist, Teradata Certified Master, Vice President of Index Analytics.Scott Hutchison | Solutions Architect at Index AnalyticsScott Hutchison is an experienced Solutions Architect with a Master's in Data Analytics from Clarkson University Graduate School. An expert in Business Intelligence Application Development, Data Analytics, and Big Data, he manages all aspects of Business Intelligence development to meet clients' needs effectively. Mr. Hutchison has a demonstrated history of producing applications that help fight healthcare fraud and providing expert analytic support to criminal investigators in identifying and developing Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases, several with exposures totaling over $100 million. This experience in high-profile analytics has given him an appreciation for the importance of data governance that produces high-quality, well-modeled data that accurately reflects underlying real-world processes. As a highly skilled programmer, developer, and data scientist, Scott provides guidance on tool and model design, serves as an expert resource for solving complex analysis and coding issues, and employs Agile processes to ensure that he delivers the tools and features that provide the most value to his clients.David Holmes, PMP, SAFe Agilist, Teradata Certified Master | Vice President of Services at Index AnalyticsDavid Holmes is a highly accomplished PMP certified professional with 30 years of experience in leading and contributing to the success of technology programs. He is a Certified SAFe Agilist and a Teradata Certified Master, with extensive expertise in data warehousing, business intelligence, and data architecture. David is also a recognized expert in the field, with over 20 publications in journals and industry publications, as well as several patents to his name. He has contributed to the success of numerous pre-sales and proposal work for contracts at CMS, USPS, and DOJ, delivering over $1B in revenue, and has provided substantial delivery experience supporting programs for CMS, USPS, CIA, and DoD.Index Analytics is an award-winning 8(a) certified small business that specializes in providing enterprise solutions to federal government agencies. Since 2012, the company has been delivering high-quality data and application modernization and Salesforce CRM solutions that improve ROI. With expertise in data management and analytics, cloud-based solutions, Agile development, and operational support for highly visible programs across a diverse portfolio, Index brings together business and IT professionals to drive results and boost engagement for federal clients. Visit us at index-analytics.com. 

On today's Keeping IT Brief, ICF’s Vice President of Digital Transformation, Tahera Zamanzada, shares the importance of bringing an empathy-first approach to human-centered design, and how mission and IT leaders looking to undergo digital modernization can find success in this approach. Tahera will explain the role of “human-centered design” in product development and management, and how it applies in a government context.  Tahera Zamanzada, Vice President of Digital Transformation at ICF Tahera has 15 years of experience in helping organizations and federal agencies keep up with a rapidly evolving digital landscape and improve the digital customer experience through the adoption of cloud platforms. As a thought leader and digital advisor, Tahera consults on the challenges surrounding digital transformation, cloud adoption, and technology modernization. She has a passion for multi-cloud strategies, human-centered design, and data transformation.ICF ICF is a global advisory and digital services provider with approximately 8,000 full- and part-time employees. Not a typical consultancy, ICF business analysts and policy specialists work hand-in-hand with digital strategists, data scientists and creatives. ICF combines unmatched industry expertise with technology to help organizations solve their most complex challenges. Since 1969, public and private sector clients have worked with ICF to navigate change and shape the future.

Customers have hit the inflection point on cloud adoption. What are the cloud implementation and optimization aspects that the customers need to be aware of to ensure that they get their return on their investment?  Today we dig into the topic with Raman Bhasker, Technical Director at Index Analytics and Narayana Vallapuneni, Sr. DevSecOps Architect at Index Analytics.Narayana Vallapuneni| Sr. DevSecOps ArchitectNarayana is a highly skilled Senior Solutions Architect at Index Analytics, specializing in Automation, Modernization, Process Improvement, and Cost savings. He has a proven track record of streamlining processes and reducing costs while delivering high-quality solutions that meet and exceed client expectations. He is passionate about security and takes great pride in ensuring that all solutions he designs and delivers are robust, scalable, and secure. He understands the importance of protecting sensitive data and proactively addresses potential vulnerabilities and risks. In addition, he enjoys spending time with his family and watching movies.Raman Bhasker | Technical DirectorRaman Bhasker is a seasoned technology leader with more than 17 years of diverse experience in the information technology industry serving the federal government and the commercial sectors. As a Technical Director at Index Analytics, Raman leads solution implementations, mentors teams, and drives technical maturity across Index's project portfolio. He has led technical solution delivery of several data modernization initiatives, including data strategy, cloud migration, enterprise application integration, and scalable and cost-effective IT systems across several business components within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Prior to federal government contracting, Raman led IT solution implementations in the commercial healthcare and insurance industries. Index Analytics is an award-winning 8(a) certified small business that specializes in providing enterprise solutions to federal government agencies. Since 2012, the company has been delivering high-quality data and application modernization and Salesforce CRM solutions that improve ROI. With expertise in data management and analytics, cloud-based solutions, Agile development, and operational support for highly visible programs across a diverse portfolio, Index brings together business and IT professionals to drive results and boost engagement for federal clients. Visit us at index-analytics.com. 

One of the many lessons learned during the pandemic was that the public, health care providers, and our government agencies were looking to IT systems and software applications to communicate, exchange data, and provide information needed to support decision-making. The increased need for information highlighted existing challenges impacting data sharing and data security.Today we speak with Srini Iyer the Health Group CTO of Leidos on how achieving greater speed and effective information delivery through an enriched data exchange framework will permit greatly enhanced data sharing across clinicians, labs, hospitals, pharmacies, patient, the public, and government agencies at all levels. When disparate systems can work in tandem to share patient data seamlessly across all networks, within and across organizational boundaries, the health ecosystem from providers to officials are able to advance the effective delivery of healthcare and make informed decision for individuals and communities. Srini Iyer serves as Chief Technology Officer for the Health Group at Leidos, where he is responsible for driving innovation and building new offerings to enhance the Health Group’s growing portfolio. Before joining Leidos, Srini served as Senior Vice President and Corporate Chief Technology Officer at ManTech International. He also served as Strategic Planning Manager for Northrop Grumman Technical Services. Iyer has a Master of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds an Executive Leadership Certificate from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia as well as a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Madras.Leidos is a Fortune 500® technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world’s toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company’s 45,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $14.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2022. For more information, visit www.leidos.com