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MHS Embraces Leading-Edge Tech Wednesday, October 08, 2008 Posted by: Tommy J. Morris Today we hear from Tommy Morris, director, Deployment Technologies & Support Programs FHP&R, who weighs in with thoughts on information technology and the new information systems that will play a critical role in the the MHS’s future successes.
We’re at a critical juncture in our nation’s history. Soon, we’ll be making the ultimate decision in the direction we would like to see the country go as we head to the polls to vote for our next president. In the information technology (IT) world, we also find ourselves at a critical juncture. IT leaders and decision makers at companies and government agencies around the world are faced with the question: Should we continue on the pathways we are familiar with, or should we take a bold step to embrace the new and emerging commercial-off-the-shelf technologies that promise more flexibility and greater efficiency for our information systems?
I’m happy to say the Military Health System has chosen to take that bold step and methodically embrace new technologies that will improve the theater health-related information systems that support our service members.
One such step is the implementation of a service-oriented architecture, or SOA, design for our electronic health systems. What does this mean? It means we can now begin to realize the benefits of the available cutting edge technologies in accelerating health care IT solutions to provide the best quality of care for our service members.
Adopting a SOA approach allows us to rapidly and efficiently develop systems and services that share information critical to protecting and preserving the health of our deployed forces with a wide and varied audience in a format unique to their needs. For example, in just a few months, using SOA, we were able to establish a secure Web service connection between the Theater Medical Data Store, or TMDS, (TMDS is the authoritative source for electronic health records of deployed forces) and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ VistA medical information system. Now, when a veteran or service member receives care in a VA hospital, the VA can request, through VistA a record of the treatment they received in theater, and it will be instantaneously delivered from TMDS and displayed on their VistA system.
Access to treatment history allows the VA health care providers to make better decisions about the care they provide our veterans, which ultimately results in better care and better health outcomes. Similarly, in just a few months the DoD was able to establish a web service with the Social Security Administration to support the benefits process for disabled veterans. ——————– MilitaryConnection.com thanks you for your patronage. This web site is a portal of all things military. There is something for everyone including a new job board, listing all types of jobs for military including military jobs, government jobs, veteran jobs, diversity jobs and civilian jobs,. We also feature education for military resources such as information on the newly improved GI Bill, listings of military schools in the military school directory, an expansive scholarship directory and additional education benefits that will aid you in continuing your education. If you need a personal loan, MilitaryConnection.com provides information on military loans and reputable companies that handle them. We are constantly adding resources, content and valuable features to benefit our audience. This has resulted in the web site quickly becoming the “go to” web site for all things military. Our web site and all of the resources are free to users and we value your input. If you belong to a group or organization, we will post your press releases, special events, newsletters, professional conferences and seminars, reunions, job fairs, and videos to help spread the word. MilitaryConnection.com has a multitude of employment and educational resources including a Directory of over 30,000 Employers, Job Tips, Columns written by top Job Coaches, our new and improved Job Board, Virtual Job Fair, jobs for military and military spouses, military jobs, government jobs, veteran jobs, diversity jobs, civilian jobs and much more. You will find military education resources information on the GI Bill, military schools, a military school directory, a scholarship directory and information on current educational benefits. We also feature military loan information. When the next tour is back home, it’s on MilitaryConnection.com. |
