Indian Health Service Steps Up Modernization With Electronic Record Launch in 2025

The Indian Health Service’s new electronic health care record system will be launched in 2025 to replace its current Resource and Patient Management System, which is more than 40 years old. 

According to GovCIO, the RPMS is the Department of Health and Human Services’ oldest legacy system. The planned 2025 launch was announced during the Health Information Technology Modernization Program Virtual Summit that the IHS hosted on Dec. 13, GovCIO Media & Research reported Thursday.

The announcement follows the IHS award of a potential 10-year, $1.5 billion indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to General Dynamics Information Technology in November for the development of the new EHR system based on the Oracle Cerner solution.

The contract award is part of the 10-year IHS modernization program in line with the White House’s executive order on customer experience improvement and trust-building.

Mitchell Thornbrugh, IHS chief information officer, said the agency will use pilot sites for training on the new system before its 2025 deployment.

The new EHR will boost data integration and usability across the agency, tribal and urban health providers and commercial partners, as well as open easy access to comprehensive health care for Native Americans, Thorhbrugh added.