“New IT processes and initiatives took hold across government as agencies found ways to cope with the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, but many had to adopt solutions just to continue delivering their regular services amid office shutdowns, equipment shortages and other pandemic hurdles.”
“For instance, in April 2020, the Indian Health Service had to expand its small telehealth center to every provider within its network of 568 facilities to keep up with demand.”
“’We saw it going from a few hundred full-time remote workers to a couple of thousand,’ says IHS CIO Mitchell Thornbrugh.”
“IHS also recognized early in the pandemic the need to detect where and how rapidly the disease was spreading to adjust services and staffing. In March 2020, it developed a national dashboard where healthcare providers could report COVID-19 test results.”
“’We could see trends with rising seven-day positivity, total number of cases,’ Thornbrugh says. ‘That gave leaders the knowledge they needed to respond and prepare appropriately.'”
“Modernization Moved Quickly to Answer Providers’ Needs
Before the pandemic, IHS had embarked on a major multiyear modernization effort, and the demands from the pandemic accelerated those plans. IHS used $141 million in funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and the American Rescue Plan Act to support local needs, such as increased circuits, wireless components and mobile devices…” Read the full article here.
Source: Indian Health Service Innovates to Keep Health Centers Open – By Phil Goldstein, November 17, 2021. FedTech Magazine.
