Digital Government

DHS distributes $253M for transit security

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the availability of $253 million in grants for mass transit security.

Digital Government

Stimulus funds to pay for EHRs at federal centers

The Obama administration said it will spend $88 million on electronic health record systems at networks of federally supported health centers.

Modernization

VA puts hospital data on Data.gov

The Veterans Affairs Department is posting its annual hospital report card online for the first time, said VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.

People

Sebelius outlines open government projects

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius seeks to make government more open by sponsoring a YouTube video contest and a Web site for CDC employees.

Cybersecurity

TWIC card reader tests need best practices, GAO says

GAO gave TSA a mixed review in its latest evaluation of the transportation worker ID card program.

Modernization

DOE uses cloud computing for science, CIO says

Energy Department CIO Tom Pyke today outlined some benefits from using cloud computing for scientific computations.

People

FDA readies new data systems for drug safety

The Food and Drug Administration will expand its tracking of drug safety once the drugs enter the marketplace, according to a new report.

Digital Government

VA plans pilot projects for Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record initiative

The Veterans Affairs and Defense departments are seeking vendors for a series of pilot projects in anticipation of the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program.

Cybersecurity

Delays beset DHS financial systems procurement

The Homeland Security Department's second attempt to integrate its financial systems is more than a year behind the original schedule, according to a new GAO report.

Digital Government

Watchdog issues privacy report card for personal health record systems

While HHS is preparing rules for electronic health records, a separate technology known as personal health records is getting attention from a watchdog group.

Digital Government

IG concludes that VistA outage compromised vets' health care

The inspector general's office has issued a new report criticizing VA for not following through on indications that VistA outages might be affecting patient care.

Digital Government

Better data could mean better care

Electronic health record technologies could facilitate the creation of aggregated reports on health care quality, creating opportunities to improve — but at some risk.

Cybersecurity

DHS has problems with IT internal controls, audit says

Shortcomings in the Coast Guard’s IT systems are putting DHS's financial data at risk, auditors said.

People

GSA saves money with contract reviews, IG says

GSA saved money with pre-award reviews of proposed contracts, the agency's IG says.

Cybersecurity

DHS making strides in acquisition management, IG says

The Homeland Security Department is sharpening its procurement management skills as it rates a "moderate progress" score for 2009 from its inspector general.

Acquisition

Agencies spending stimulus bucks through no-bid contracts, GAO finds

SBA, HUD and NASA awarded 35 percent or more of their stimulus law contracts noncompetitively, according to a new GAO report.

Modernization

Commerce weighs open-source content system for Web sites

The Commerce Department is considering switching its Web sites to the Drupal open-source content management system.

Digital Government

HHS to award $235M in health IT grants to local communities

The Health and Human Services Department will fund 15 communities to demonstrate the use of digital health records.

Cybersecurity

Immigration and Customs looking at performance-based software development

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is considering using performance-based contracts for software development to modernize its IT systems.

People

HHS updates acquisition regs with new rules for transparency, green purchasing

The Health and Human Services Department is doing its first major update to its acquisition regulation since 2006.