Innovation earns 9 agencies awards

Clinical Information Technology Program Office (CITPO); AHLTA, the Military Electronic Health Record

FCW Events named nine government agencies as the winners of its eighth annual Government Solutions Center (GSC) Pioneer Awards. The distinctions honor federal, state and local programs for their innovative deployments of technology.

The crème de la crème of government off-the-shelf solutions and other applications were on display on the exhibition floor at the itsGov Technology Buying at Year-End Showcase in Washington, D.C., today.

In addition, the U.S. Postal Service won the second annual Successful Public/Private Sector Partnership Award. This prize recognizes a public agency program and its industry or association partners that have simplified government operations with technology.

“Public-sector officials at all levels of government are focusing on leveraging technology to assist their respective agencies in running more efficiently,” said Mike Smoyer, general manager of FCW Events. “This is not only a focus, but a direct response to mandates set forth by the president.”

The 2006 GSC Pioneer Award winners are:

• Clinical Information Technology Program Office, Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA), the Military Electronic Health Record

  AHLTA gives health care providers access to data about beneficiaries’ conditions, prescriptions, diagnostic tests and other information essential to providing quality care. Health care providers get real-time access to medical records, allowing them to deliver safer and more efficient care.

• Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Information, Enterprise Customer Service Solution (ECSS)

  ECSS uses customer relationship management software to provide premium service at a lower cost to people seeking information from the EPA. The software manages incoming inquiries and EPA responses, while building a knowledge base and posting frequently asked questions. ECSS uses software from RightNow Technologies.

• General Services Administration, FirstGov Search

  FirstGov Search at FirstGov.gov is a Web portal that connects people to federal, state, local, tribal and territorial information. The tool helps citizens find what they need with precision using multiple sources and viewing formats.

• Internet Development Services, Electronic Tax Administration, Internal Revenue Service, IRS.gov Web site redesign

  In November 2005, the IRS unveiled a revamped IRS.gov with enhanced search capabilities. The agency made the improvements after listening to customers’ concerns and conducting usability studies with individuals, businesses and tax professionals.

• Joint Medical Information Office, Theater Medical Information Program

  TMIP integrates multiple medical software systems to support the deployed medical business practice. The consolidated information is shared with pertinent databases, such as the Clinical Data Repository, creating a single digital medical record for service members and a complete medical history that is available throughout the Military Health System.

• Kansas Highway Patrol, Online Crash Logs

  Kansas Online Crash Logs streamlined the Kansas Highway Patrol’s process of recording and distributing crash information by reducing the amount of paperwork dispatchers complete. The system also dramatically cut down on phone calls from the public and media. Now everyone can check crash logs and view the most current information without disrupting the dispatchers’ daily operations.

• Maine State Police, Crash Reporting Online Search and Ordering Service

  The Maine crash reporting system is an electronic crash data collection tool that stores more than 40,000 crash reports annually. The Maine State Police partnered with InforME to develop an online process for the public to search and purchase crash reports by name, date of birth, crash location, crash date or investigating agency.

• Social Security Administration, Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge, Video Hearings Project

  The project is a nationwide video network to help schedule and conduct hearings in remote areas, reducing the need for judges and witnesses to travel. So far, the SSA team has installed more than 300 sets of equipment and expects to conduct almost 50,000 hearings by video this fiscal year.

2006 Successful Public/Private Sector Partnership Award winner:

• USPS, Hurricane Reports

  After Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast last year, USPS worked quickly to respond and reconnect with customers and employees. With its partners at IBM, USPS set up a hurricane information delivery system on its external Web site, USPS.com, and internally on Blue – one of the largest intranets in the world. USPS informed customers via the Web about the status of their mail delivery and local post offices. Internally, Blue connected USPS with displaced employees and provided job-related information.