Stanley Awarded $6 Million HHS ContractStanley Awarded $6 Million HHS Contract

The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded IT services provider Stanley a two-year, time-and-materials contract valued at $6 million to provide operation and infrastructure support for the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN).

The NHIN, which is being developed under the direction of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), will provide a secure, nationwide, interoperable health information infrastructure that will connect providers, consumers, and other stakeholders involved in supporting healthcare.

In establishing the NHIN, the ONC is seeking to achieve several objectives including developing capabilities for standards-based, secure data exchange nationwide and improving the coordination of patient information among hospitals, laboratories, physician's offices, pharmacies, and other providers.

Additionally, the NHIN will support giving consumers new capabilities for managing and controlling their personal health records as well as providing access to their health information from electronic health records (EHRs) and other sources.

"We are proud of the capabilities we offer HHS in operating the Nationwide Health Information Network and believe our solution will help provide the security, scalability. and efficiency needed to achieve their operational goals," Howard Ady, Stanley's VP, said in a statement.

Under the award, announced Monday, Stanley will provide services to support the enrollment of participants into the Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange, including issuing digital certificates, updating network directories, and providing help desk support. The Nitor Group and 5am Solutions are subcontractors on the Stanley team.

The Arlington, Va-based company said the award falls under the company's Chief Information Officer -- Solutions and Partners 2 Innovations contract with the National Institute of Health's Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center.

Developing the NHIN is a critical part of establishing a foundation for healthcare reform and advancing the adoption and appropriate use of health information technology to improve the quality of care as set forth under the Health Information Technology and Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH) Act.

In recent years the ONC has invested resources in developing the NHIN to define the standards, specifications, implementation guidelines, policies, and operational infrastructure that will enable the secure exchange of interoperable health information in the United States, the company said in a statement.

Stanley is a provider of IT services and solutions to U.S. defense, intelligence, and federal civilian government agencies. The company offers systems integration solutions and expertise in several areas including systems engineering, enterprise integration, operational support, business process management, and advanced engineering and technology.