Click the image to view the speeches. Program descriptions are below.
HHS OIG Software Modernization and Maintenance
Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General
This new Hybrid GSS Platform at the OIG, uses on-premise, AWS, Azure and ServiceNow resources to integrate into a single transparent ecosystem. Using the 6R principles, the team has been working on modernizing OIG’s suite of 100+ software systems on the new platform. The team has implemented full end to end automation of the CI/CD pipeline including automated SSP generation.This all-out assault on the status quo has resulted in a many-fold increase of productivity and more accurate alignment to business goals directly supporting the agency’s mission to protect the integrity of HHS programs as well as the health and welfare of program beneficiaries.
Securing Data for Health and Human Services Using Blockchain
Department of Health and Human Services
Octo created its Logchain solution for CDM, using blockchain to catalog log files and any changes to those files, including those deleted or updated. Logchain identifies who made the changes and locates the machine on which the changes were made. HHS can add customers or programs through nodes that can replicate Logchain’s functionality to encompass all areas of HHS. Logchain was the first blockchain tool to be used in the Federal Government for such a purpose. Using Logchain, HHS auditors reviewed more than 10,000 log files in hours, not months. Logchain strengthens HHS’ security posture, permitting timelier response by HHS security personnel.
Grants Analytics Portal
Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General
Until the release of the Grants Analytics Portal (GAP), there was little oversight of grant monies given to external third parties by HHS. The GAP, built through a Joint Venture partnership between the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) and Excella, radically changes the ability of HHS OIG to oversee these funds. By fusing and synthesizing data from multiple sources of grants data, providing an aggregated view of all grantees, and executing proactive analytics to flag high risk or potentially fraudulent behaviors, the GAP enables operatives to more effectively target bad actors and mitigate instances of grantees using funds fraudulently or irresponsibly.
HHS OIG Platform Modernization
Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General
The OIG is responsible for overseeing more than 100 DHHS programs, including Medicare and Medicaid and oversees more than 1 trillion dollars of federal funding. This large-scale initiative to modernize all of the agency’s legacy applications began in 2019 with the beginning of a joint project between the OIG and the U.S. Postal Service which proposes a shared services model for all 73 inspectors general. Thanks in part to this effort, the OIG is expected to recover $5.9 billion in 2019—an average of $6 given back to every taxpayer. Quantifiable results benefit children protection, legal advice requests and witness complaints of suspicious activity, which is critical to the launch of an investigation.
ServiceNow Administration & Configuration
Office of the Chief Information Officer, Department of Health and Human Services
The HHS OCIO OCPO had a vision to put a platform in place that could be leveraged by the enterprise for shared services across the Department. HHS partnered with NetImpact Strategies and achieved success in May 2018 by bringing ServiceNow into production, building the landscape to enable process automation throughout the enterprise for continuous improvement.This program lays the foundation for driving automation and innovation, transforming antiquated ways of doing business, and was a cornerstone was establishing a specialized platform for hosting, shared services, leveraging applications implemented as products available to the STAFFDIVS and OPDIVS, laying the foundation for IT modernization across the enterprise.
HHS emPOWER AI and Map
ASPR, Department of Health and Human Services
The emPOWER Map application is one of the first operational AI applications for emergency management within the federal civilian market to be built natively on AWS. The emPOWER system now has an Alexa Skill and Google Personal Assistant integration which interfaces with the application and the aggregation functionality to further enhance usability for first-line disaster responders on mobile devices. The emPOWER AI allows responders to quickly query the emPOWER data that’s relevant to the areas in which they are working and planning. As of January 2020, over 53,500 users had accessed the emPOWER map application across all 50 states and five territories to protect at-risk populations.
Ecological Momentary Assessment
National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health
This mobile app/game helps researchers collect real-time data focused on irritability and anger, that are common and undertreated concerns in young children and teenagers, using wearable devices. This data is then analyzed using analytics tools by the experts and novel therapeutic measures are developed. The mobile app not only helps collect data; it also has a therapeutic impact through AI/ML models. This gaming app helps children manage their emotions to get more and more rewards/points thus helping them in using these skills in real life. Leading-edge technologies such as AI and ML assist clinical researchers to make real-time, evidence-based therapy decisions.
Freedom of Information Act Express (FOIAXpress) Modernization System
Business Application Services Division, Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health
To support the “Optimize NIH” initiative, the FOIAXpress System was installed enterprise-wide at NIH between 2018 and 2019 to track and control Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests across all Institutes and Centers (ICs). The new FOIAXpress System functionalities enhanced the NIH FOIA program’s security, efficiency, and internal transparency through a single, unified system for all NIH ICs by streamlining the FOIA requests process and launching a public-facing portal to improve the requestor experience. CIT has been able to save NIH more than $250,000 since launching an enterprise-wide instance of the FOIAXpress System and decommissioning its legacy instances.
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Opioid Data Warehouse
Food and Drug Administration
The ODW is a data platform, built in AWS GovCloud, that integrates over 30 disparate data sources and enables the FDA to leverage data analytics to inform evidence-based public health decisions and take a more aggressive approach to regulatory action. The innovative architecture of the ODW provides enterprise value through cost-effectiveness, scalability, and extensibility. It will transform how FDA offices interact and synergize, reducing duplication in services and data management and improving efficiency in analysis and reporting. The ODW provides long-term public health value: improved data access and use at scale enables the FDA to enhance regulatory decision making.
FDA Establishment Identifier Portal
Food and Drug Administration
To ensure data accuracy with least burden on the import community (especially small scale importers), FDA launched FDA Establishment Identifier (FEI) Portal. This portal specifically “assists users [inspectors] in identifying FEI numbers associated with a specific address or identifying a specific address associated with an FEI number for a firm [importer] already in FDA’s firm inventory.” FEI is an innovative, disruptive capability, provided free of charge, significantly improves the accuracy of data with least burden on global trade community, allowing efficient inspections for real threat detection and prevention.
CDER Office of Computational Science Regulatory Review Support
Food and Drug Administration
The Office of Computational Science (OCS) established the Regulatory Review Support (RRS) program to help achieve its mission and vision. To that extent, OCS created a suite of tools and services, including JumpStart, KickStart, Core Data Fitness, the OCS Service Desk, Statistical Programming Support, Data Management & Data Quality Program and OCS Data Central. These services have provided reviewers with a one-stop shop for managing analyzing their data and assessing the safety of the new drugs. The RRS program gave FDA the skills, resources, tools and services it needs for an efficient and modern drug review.
FDA Adverse Event Reporting Program
Food and Drug Administration
FAERS is the FDA’s regulatory and surveillance system to monitor adverse event reports for post-market drug and biologic products marketed in the USA. Drug and biologic product adverse events were more efficiently analyzed and recalls were made easier. Integrations with internal systems and standardization of drug and biologic product dictionaries allowed reduction in analysis time and generation of instant signals for adverse event problems. Cost savings were achieved for FOIA through direct public facing data dashboards and introduction of efficient workflow to eliminate manual data-entry. Standardization of common submission standards allowed new types of adverse event cases to be accepted at the FDA thereby improving overall public health surveillance.
WTCHP CARE Portal (World Trade Center Health Program Centralized Accessible Real-time Enterprise Portal)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since inception, WTCHP operations have been managed by multiple disparate applications ranging in form, function and accessibility to process applications and exchange and store data. In order to more effectively serve a program growing in size and complexity, the team created a state of the art, cross-platform multi-client Service Oriented Architecture to serve as the foundation of the CARE Portal. The portal employs an intuitive and responsive user experience across the ubiquitous, varied devices utilized in the modern workplace, including phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. Now members can apply online, and the CARE portal offers real-time, web-based access with a centralized database. The team used demos, user acceptance testing, and mentoring to ensure successful adoption.
Prevention Research Synthesis Web Platform
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
PRSWeb is the innovative system created to update and expand upon the functionality of the PRS database system. Key PRSWeb modernization components include the project management tool, reviews module, efficacy module and a dynamic reports module. The PRSWeb application modernized the PRS database by transforming and streamlining the review process for researchers who gather and code citations and identify effective interventions. New PRSWeb functionality enables researchers to increase the number of interventions evaluated with greater accuracy and efficiency. PRSWeb is a powerful database tool, essential to producing the PRS Compendium and peer-reviewed research. PRSWeb enables CDC to identify effective HIV interventions as we work towards Ending the HIV Epidemic!
See the video and read about the winners from the Department of Veterans Affairs here.
See the video and read about the winners from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services here.
See the video and read about the winners from the Defense Health Agency here.
