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Spotlight On: MHS Cyberinfrastructure Services
July 29, 2011
This month, the Spotlight series continues with a profile of the Military Health System Cyberinfrastructure Services directorate.
Most health care providers don’t think about their computers, even as they rely upon them daily to do their jobs. Applications run, emails come to inboxes, servers are upgraded, new technology arrives, and very seldom do users realize that behind every piece of working technology at their fingertips is a whole team of dedicated professionals who keep it running.
Air Force Col. Jaime Rosado, director of the Military Health System Cyberinfrastructure Services, wouldn’t have it any other way. “Our job is to make sure that the professionals who are caring for our Service members don’t have to think about MCiS any more than I think about the power company when I flip a light switch.” MCiS is responsible for evaluating, delivering and managing the network layer and all infrastructure support services for the MHS.
Perhaps the best known component of MCiS is the 24/7 Service Desk. “The MHS Service Desk is staffed with subject matter experts for all of the MHS centrally-managed applications,” said Wayne Speaks, principal deputy director of MCiS. “Moreover, we have experienced network engineers and system administrators to manage not only the network, but also the servers that use the network on behalf of the MHS.”
In addition to keeping the MHS cyberinfrastructure up and running, MCiS also is taking steps to ensure that the MHS stays on top of the ever-evolving technology landscape. Its Innovation Division recently established the Special Projects and Research Cell, also known as the SPARC, to identify emerging technologies that may be useful to the MHS, test them and bring the most valuable tools to the entire enterprise. For example, MCiS is analyzing lightweight portable solutions such as tablet and notebook computers, which could allow more accurate data collection through real-time charting.
MCiS is also responsible for the infrastructure component of the integrated electronic health record, a joint effort between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide a unified health record from accession through end of life for all Service Members, retirees and veterans. To enable data sharing and interoperability between the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, and with private sector providers, MCiS is providing tools such as the Enterprise Service Bus, which acts as a message broker between applications.
“Collaboration and coordination among the MHS, MTFs, the Services and the VA always presents challenges, especially in this era of fiscal austerity,” Rosado said. “Each entity has a distinct mission, but almost everything we do involves multiple organizations. We cannot do everything ourselves, or succeed in a vacuum, so we’ve worked hard to establish partnerships with our customers and other stakeholders to ensure that our health care providers have the tools they need and that our beneficiaries receive the best possible care. The MHS is well positioned to set the standard in health care information technology for the nation.”
MCiS