Lockheed Builds on SSA e-Health Success

Lockheed Martin has fattened its health information technology portfolio by securing a $9 million contract to demonstrate nationwide exchanges of patient data, following the government contractor's successful test of electronic health records at the Social Security Administration.

The company Wednesday afternoon announced that the Health and Human Services department awarded a contract to create software that will expand the nationwide health information network, which is a secure, electronic channel for sharing e-health records among hospitals and practitioners across the country. Lockheed also won a contract to deploy real-world pilots that will show off the network's capabilities.

Separately, the company is pursuing an estimated $2 billion contract for Social Security IT services that would expand upon Lockheed's current contract with the agency, but also include more sophisticated health IT support.

In February 2009, Lockheed helped develop technical specifications for sharing medical records of people applying for SSA disability benefits with MedVirginia, a health information exchange owned by a coalition of nonprofit hospitals and physicians in central Virginia. The effort laid the groundwork for the nationwide health information network.