The Veterans Administration (VA) 2014 budget request is $152.7 billion, an increase of 2.7 billion or 4.3 percent over the 2013 enacted level. With this budget, the administration covers many services including 112 VA Medical Centers and hundreds of Vet Centers and community-based outpatient clinics. These facilitates provide services to veterans who are serving actively or have been honorably discharged from The Army; The Navy; The Marine Corps; The Coast Guard; The Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service; and The Commissioned Officer Corps of the National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing wireless technology to provide 112 medical centers nationwide with voice, video, data, real-time-location-services, and electronic health and other information systems. The department has awarded Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, with $60 million over four years to carry out the contract, with all options exercised.
The company has delivered the first two phases of a three phase program by providing 66 medical sites with the same technology. The third phase will add the remainder 46 facilities bringing the total to 112 centers nationwide.
When the project is finalized the VA will be able to leverage the latest technology in order to meet its communications and information needs. The system implemented by Harris will have an open, interoperable system that can be integrated easily with existing VA infrastructures. It will also include 24/7/365 operational support, maintenance, and continuity of operations with the highest level of security protecting the network and personal data of the hundreds of thousands of veterans using the system.
"Harris will deliver both the right team and responsive program management expertise to successfully build and support 46 more medical sites as part of this large-scale mobility infrastructure. We are honored to continue our partnership with the VA to provide more effective care to veterans around the country," said Wayne Lucernoni, president, Harris IT Services.
Harris IT Services is used by some of the most powerful global organizations who depend on security and reliability with the latest available technology. The company has 6000 engineers and scientist from a total of 14,000 employees serving government and commercial markets in more than 125 countries.
Edited by
Stefania Viscusi
