CDC system taking next step

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) a $25 million contract to continue the development and support of the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS).

The contract is a continuation of the work CSC started under a $16 million contract awarded in October 2000.

The contract, announced Jan. 21, was awarded through the General Services Administration's Applications 'N' Support for Widely Diverse End-User Requirements (Answer) contract, and includes one base year and one option year.

CSC will continue to support the full software development for the NEDSS base system and support CDC's plans to deploy the system to 20 state and community sites. CSC will enhance and add requirements for the system, including building on program area modules, which provide a means of gathering information on diseases.

"It's just sort of the next step," CSC program manager Dave Levitt said of the contract.

NEDSS is part of a public health information network that will link and integrate public health activities at all government levels while meeting confidentiality and security requirements.

About 70 CSC software and development specialists, mostly based in Atlanta, will provide support for the CDC. Louisville, Ky.-based Emergint Inc., a small business developing clinical information systems for medical and public health research, will assist CSC.