Health tech helping in fight against opoids? A little.

THE FUTURE OF DOD HEALTHCARE IS BRIGHT: That’s the feeling from panelists who spoke at a Center for a New American Security event Thursday evening. Dr. Karen Guice, a deputy secretary for health affairs at the Department of Defense, wouldn’t speak directly about the ongoing $11 billion EHR procurement at the DoD, but said an interoperable health ecosystem that’s well-connected to the VA and the private sector will help inform the rest of the industry. She said she’s interested in any and all innovative components the (very competitive) teams are bringing to the table, when asked about the competition. “We’ve got to get the right people involved and the right synergy to make it happen,” Guice said. “At the [Military Health System], we’ve taken on a lot of challenges.” The power of the data in health systems and at the DoD that’s not being used is “sad,” Guice said, and the DoD is building a system where everything is linked — which standards will make easier. “We’re sitting on lots of information, but haven’t turned it into insights,” Guice said.

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