A Medical Device Daily

Lockheed Martin (Rockville, Maryland) said it has secured $170 million in new Health & Human Services (HHS; Washington) information technology contracts.

The new contracts include $142 million for task orders under the HHS Program Support Center ID/IQ contract, and $28 million for the National Institutes of Health's Office of Computer and Communications Systems (OCSS) Software Support Services.

"The transformation of our health care system is a priority for this nation," said Steve Lubniewski, VP, Lockheed Martin Health Solutions. "For Lockheed Martin, it's a challenge of human security: How are we advancing technology to support our customers in their mission to deliver accessible, quality healthcare? It starts with work like this – ensuring the efficient and secure operation of the health systems that serve America's citizens."

Under the HHS Program Support Center task orders, Lockheed Martin will provide HHS with desktop support services, help desk and call center services, systems administration and email support, and general operations and maintenance. The consolidated task order has a three-year base period and four one-year options.

For the NIH, Lockheed Martin will provide support in web and application design and development, database design, infrastructure analysis and planning, network and system operations, and information assurance and system and network security. The contract has a five-year base period with four one-year options.

In other agreements/contract news:

• NextGen Healthcare Information Systems (Horsham, Pennsylvania), a provider of ambulatory healthcare and connectivity solutions, said it has entered into an agreement with Virtua (Marlton, New Jersey), a multi-hospital healthcare system, for the deployment of NextGen EHR. The NextGen EHR product will be implemented across the Virtua Medical Group network, which currently consists of providers practicing at 23 locations. NextGen EHR will also be offered to the organization's network of community-based physicians.

"In light of recent stimulus developments, it is more critical than ever for providers to effectively capture, measure and report quality data," said Alfred Campanella, VP and CIO of Virtua. "NextGen EHR will give our providers the tools needed to track and report on quality measures, especially those that relate to meaningful use criteria."

• Wound Management Technologies (Fort Worth, Texas) through its subsidiary, Wound Care Innovations, said it has reached an agreement with Biocure (Milan, Italy) for the distribution of WNDM's patented molecular form of activated collagen, CellerateRx.

CellerateRx is cleared by the FDA as a medical device for use on all acute and chronic wounds except for 3rd degree burns.

• St. Joseph's/Candler Health System (Savannah, Georgia) is expanding its relationship with the Premier (San Diego) healthcare alliance by implementing Premier's SafetySurveillor Web-based infection tracking and antimicrobial utilization solution. The health system will join the more than 270 hospitals that have chosen SafetySurveillor to help prevent healthcare-associated infections and optimize antibiotic use, with a goal of protecting patients more effectively while safely reducing hospital costs.

SafetySurveillor is being used to reduce harm as a part of the QUEST: High Performing Hospitals collaborative, a voluntary, three-year project with nearly 200 not-for-profit hospitals across 31 states.

• AMD Lasers (Indianapolis) reported a strategic partnership aimed at providing even more value for dental professionals that purchase the Picasso diode dental laser. Partners include 1-800-DENTIST, Fortune Management, and Cetylite Industries.

"We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with these industry leading companies," said Alan Miller, president/CEO of AMD Lasers. "Our customers are our greatest asset and creating such a high quality, value-added promotion will make their Picasso purchase experience even more pleasant and relevant to their business. At a value of almost $1,600, coupled with the world's most affordable laser, we are confident this promotion will help with our goal of having a laser in every operatory."

• Picis (Wakefield, Massachusetts) said it is continuing its commitment to incorporate risk management tools in emergency department information systems (EDIS) through an extension of its ongoing relationship with The Sullivan Group (Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois), a provider of risk management and performance improvement solutions for the emergency department (ED). The two companies have entered into a multi-year extension of their agreement to integrate The Sullivan Group's risk management content with Picis ED PulseCheck, providing ED clinicians with information at the point of care to help the clinician improve decision-making and patient safety, while mitigating risk of litigation.