Weekly Roundup September 4, 2015

Report Slams VA Over Health Care Enrollment System Backlog. A Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report finds that the Veterans Health Administration's enrollment system in 2014 had about 867,000 pending records, 35% of which were for deceased veterans. OIG says VHA's Health Eligibility Center is not successfully managing data, causing a significant backlog and limiting access to care. Modern Healthcare et al Cyber drawbridges, medical device data and more. FDA expands access to medical device data (The Food and Drug Administration is expanding the data on medical device performance available through its application programming interface openFDA. The agency is adding device classifications and company registrations to its database, which already offers information on product recalls and adverse events, according to a blog post on the agency's website.); DHS looks to develop cyber 'drawbridge', a new team approach to IT R&D Halvorsen wants to change economics of cyberspace. Defense Department CIO Terry Halvorsen on Sept. 2 called for industry help in changing the economics of cyberspace so that is more costly for hackers to inflict damage and cheaper for the Pentagon to defend itself NIH Announces Grant Recipients for Combining Genomic Info, EHRs.As part of the Electronic Medical Record and Genomics program, NIH yesterday announced a dozen grant recipients who will receive millions of dollars in funding to pursue research about incorporating DNA sequence information into electronic health records. The grants represent the third stage of the program. FierceEMR et a John Kamensky DATA Act Implementation Headed in Right Direction. Federal News Radio reports that the Treasury Inspector General issued a report acknowledging good progress in Treasury’s efforts to implement the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act. In a related story, NextGov reports that Treasury this week finalized the remaining data standards, a necessary step before moving to the pilot phase of the Act. Post-Presidential Role – Speculation. Tom Shoop, editor at Government Executive, talked with Federal News Radio’s Tom Temin about how President Obama was reported by the New York Times as talking with business and tech leaders about how he might promote better government once he completes his term in office – a la former President Herbert Hoover in the 1940s. Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post about steps the president could take before he leaves office. Better Integrate Better Buying Power. According to Government Executive, the Government Accountability Office reviewed the Defense Department’s efforts to better integrate its purchases to avoid duplication and to increase its purchasing leverage in the market place. GAO offered a number of recommendations to improve the initiative. GAO Compiles Overview of Poverty Programs. GAO released a catalog of 80 federal programs designed to help low income people. These programs spend about $742 billion a year and assist about 106 million people. ACT-IAC Customer Service Initiative. Federal News Radio interviewed Jim Williams about his ACT-IAC customer service improvement initiative, where he is helping apply best practices from the private sector into government. * * * * * The Business of Government Radio Show: Rob Coen, Director, Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center, National Institutes of Health. What are the key priorities for National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC)? How does NITAAC assist federal agencies to accomplish their mission? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and so much more. Broadcast Schedule: The show airs Monday at 11 a.m., and Friday at 1 PM, on Federal News Radio 1500AM WFED If you can't wait, though, you can listen to (or download) this week's program and all our previous interviews at businessofgovernment.org.