“Money to purchase 180,000 devices for telework and telehealth is part of the the Department of Veterans Affairs’ supplemental appropriations request to Congress, sources familiar with the matter told FedScoop.”
“Specifically, the VA says it needs 100,000 laptops to support ‘maximum telework’ directives, 30,000 laptops for telehealth operations and 50,000 iPads for veterans to be able to access telehealth, the sources said.”
“The hardware falls under a $1.2 billion request for the department’s ‘Information Technology Systems account’ to support the ‘quick shift’ to telehealth and social distance working, according to an Office and Management and Budget memo earlier this week. Overall the VA is requesting $16.6 billion in extra fiscal 2020 funds to ensure it can continue its operations during the novel coronavirus pandemic…”
“Boyer confirmed that the VA is planning to ramp up telehealth capabilities to meet the demand as veterans are asked to stay home from elective health care, but could not confirm the number of iPads the VA is expecting to buy…”
“The OMB memo to Congress noted the VA also needs to upgrade bandwidth to conduct teleworking operations — something that other agencies are struggling with — as well as telehealth on top of that…”
“A source familiar with the IT budget request said it is likely to increase before it is passed into law. Congressional appropriators are still sizing up OMB’s supplemental request, which totals $45.8 billion across the entire government. It could be folded into other coronavirus-response legislation or passed on its own, reports said.”
“To put the $1.2 billion IT request in perspective: The VA requested nearly $5 billion for its entire Office of Information and Technology budget for fiscal 2021…” Read the full article here.
Source: VA wants 180,000 new devices to support telework, telehealth during pandemic – By Jackson Barnett, March 20, 2020. FedScoop.
