Healthcare professionals increasingly use wireless devices such as smartphones and mobile apps as healthcare organizations become more dependent on mobile services for gathering patient data, monitoring remote patients and more. But as the number of devices healthcare organizations use increases and their functions and locations expand, management becomes more complex.

Today we speak with DJ Oreb, President, Managed Services at DMI about how from cybersecurity risks to remote device maintenance logistics to BYOD, hospitals and other healthcare organizations can put themselves and their patients at risk without appropriate attention to all elements of mobile management.

DJ Oreb, President, Managed Services at DMI

As the President of Managed Services, DJ provides guidance and customer insights while retaining loyal and satisfied customers in today’s mobile-connected world. He possesses extensive industry experience in mobile lifecycle management, mobile strategy, help desk, telecom expense management, procurement and MDM management. DJ helps build strong reputable relationships to develop robust mobile programs for customers that drive business results to enhance and grow their mobile eco-system and user experience.

Upon joining DMI, DJ brought with him an extensive background of Information Technology, operations management, mobility management, managed services, systems administration, and project management experience. His customer-focused approach has brought customers new insights on how they manage their mobile programs today.

DMI is a leading global provider of digital services at the intersection of the public and private sectors. With broad capabilities, including infrastructure support services, cybersecurity, cloud, and application development, DMI provides on-site and remote support to clients within governments, healthcare, financial services, transportation, manufacturing, and other critical infrastructure sectors. DMI is continually recognized as a Top Workplace in both regional and national categories.

OMB recently announced its first-ever government-wide policies to mitigate the risks of AI and harness its benefits for government agencies. This guidance will provide agencies with guardrails to ensure ethical use, citizen privacy, transparency, and promote IT modernization and competition across each sector.

Today we speak to Principal Solutions Architect at Sev1Tech, Greg Porter, on how as agencies ramp up adoption of AI tools to increase operational efficiency and streamline workflows, it’s imperative to practice responsible AI use to harness its vast benefits and minimize risks.

Greg Porter, Principal Solutions Architect at Sev1Tech

Greg Porter is the Principal Solutions Architect at Sev1Tech. Since October 2021, he has led the Artificial Intelligence team as well as the company’s Digital Twin and Digital Thread efforts. For more than 12 years, Greg Porter has been a noteworthy leader in the IT industry. Prior to Sev1Tech, he was a Senior Systems Architect at Geocent, leading data analytics for logistics and Hadoop cluster projects, and Senior Big Data Administrator at Honeywell FM&T, where he was responsible for Big Data infrastructure design, configuration, installation, and security. Greg Porter has been honored with multiple Innovator of the Year awards for his contributions to Sev1Tech and, formerly, Geocent. He holds a master's degree in data analytics from Western Governors University.

Sev1Tech provides IT modernization, cloud, cybersecurity, engineering, training, and program support services to U.S. government agencies and major commercial organizations. Headquartered in the Washington D.C. metro area, Sev1Tech is a trusted contractor supporting critical missions across the defense, intelligence, homeland security, space, and health markets. Sev1Tech delivers better solutions, faster through highly qualified people, CMMI SVC 3, ISO 9001, ISO 20000, ISO 27001, and ISO 27017 certified processes, and cutting-edge technology.

Health disparities impair attainment of, and opportunity to attain, optimal health for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, preferred language, and other factors that affect access to care and health outcomes.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services mark improved health care access as a priority area for the agency and the federal health community – this is evident through CMS’s Framework for Health Equity which strives to identify and remedy systemic barriers to access so that every one of the people CMS serves has a fair and just opportunity to attain their optimal health.

Today on Keeping IT Brief, Darryl Roberts, VP of Health Informatics at RELI Group, discusses how the Framework highlights priority areas and efforts that can help address avoidable inequalities and eliminate health and health care disparities – one area of note is the use of data and data analytics. The process of analyzing healthcare data to improve quality of care is a core approach and one that will be essential for future health care efforts. Details found through effective data analytics can be translated to inform public use files, technical documents, clearance processes, publications and more, ultimately helping guide public health policy.

Darryl Roberts

VP of Health Informatics at RELI Group

Darryl W. Roberts, PhD, MS, RN, FHIMSS, FAAN, brings more than three decades of diverse healthcare and informatics experience to RELI Group, having demonstrated profound expertise in healthcare quality, informatics, policy and management.

Dr. Roberts, a PhD-prepared registered nurse, has an extensive background that encompasses roles ranging from clinical practice, education and research to policy advisory and high-level consultancy. His noteworthy contributions include the development of pioneering quality measures and advancing informatics practices to optimize healthcare outcomes. His past experiences with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have positioned him uniquely to lead RELI Group’s health informatics strategies into the future.

RELI Group

Based near Baltimore, Maryland, RELI Group is a leading organization and partner in the federal and SLG arena, supporting health IT initiatives and security missions since 2013.

The company collaborates with agencies throughout the government that touch the lives of every American, with goals of improving health, safety and security from coast to coast. Ranging from cybersecurity and data analysis to health informatics and national security, RELI Group is prepared to support various mission-critical operations across the government.

Today on Keeping IT Brief, we have a special guest: Dr. Dolores Kuchina-Musina, author of the groundbreaking book "Public Procurement for Innovation: Research and Development at the US Federal Level."

In her insightful book, co-authored with Benjamin McMartin, Dolores presents a comprehensive analysis of the innovative contract vehicles driving progress in the United States. Discover how these alternative approaches are revolutionizing public procurement and fostering groundbreaking advancements.

Join us for an engaging discussion and gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind federal innovation. Don't miss this opportunity to explore the future of public procurement and research and development!

Dolores Kuchina-Musina holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy and a Master of Business Administration from Old Dominion University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Christopher Newport University. She has been published in the Journal of Public Procurement, Politics, and Policy and is working on additional research. Dr. Kuchina-Musina has a graduate certificate in Public Procurement and Contract Management (PPCM), is a Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM), and is a National Contract Management Association (NCMA) Fellow. Her research focus includes innovation policy, Other Transaction Authorities, federal procurement reform, and decisionmaking models. Dr. Kuchina-Musina is the CEO/Founder at REXOTA Solutions, LLC, a consulting company in the DC-Metro area, focusing on strategy, planning, pursuit, capture, management, and administration of federal contract/agreement awards. Dr. Kuchina-Musina has over a decade of experience in federal, state, and international public procurement, specifically directing and managing strategic pursuits in collaboration with business development, proposal development, and change management initiatives for Federal procurement acquisitions. She has also been a strategic partner in providing risk management support for Federal compliance contracts for public and private sector organizations.

The public sector is ramping up efforts to manage mobile device security risks. The House recently released a draft of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a measure requiring the Secretary of Defense to evaluate the services available to help the DOD secure mobile devices.

Today on Keeping IT Brief, Jim Coyle, U.S. Public Sector Chief Technology Officer, Lookout discusses how with the rise of BYOD policies in government, criminals are using increasingly sophisticated tactics and malware-as-a-service kits to target agencies' mobile devices and steal sensitive data. Most alarmingly, the timeline for these attacks has accelerated dramatically—from months to minutes. As such, agencies must ensure proper security practices are in place to protect employee mobile devices and defend national security.

Jim Coyle, U.S. Public Sector Chief Technology Officer, Lookout

Jim Coyle serves as the US Public Sector CTO at Lookout, drawing upon two decades of hands-on experience in cybersecurity to assist government agencies in fortifying their defenses. Jim is a cyber security industry thought leader, delving into geopolitical cyber issues, emerging threats, defense tactics, and industry developments, offering valuable insights cultivated throughout his career.

Lookout, Inc.

Lookout, Inc. is the data-centric cloud security company that uses a defense-in-depth strategy to address the different stages of a modern cybersecurity attack, which now starts with mobile. Data is at the core of every organization, and our approach to cybersecurity is designed to protect that data within today’s evolving threat landscape no matter where or how it moves. People — and human behavior — are central to the challenge of protecting data, which is why organizations need total visibility into threats in real time, starting with the mobile endpoint. The Lookout Cloud Security Platform is purpose-built to stop modern breaches as swiftly as they unfold, from the first mobile phishing text to the final cloud data extraction. We are trusted by enterprises and government agencies of all sizes to protect the sensitive data they care about most, enabling them to work and connect freely and securely.

Global geopolitical changes, weather, health and macroeconomics play a part in managing our everyday supply chain. Addressing these factors while accounting for operational agency challenges are becoming a critical part of a supply chain practitioners job. Gaps in reliable, complete data, integrated analysis, undocumented risk assessment procedures, and unclear roles and responsibilities are contributing factors to a vulnerable supply chain risk management program. Elizabeth (“Beth”) Van Absher, Director of the NIH Division of Logistics Services (DLS), and Moshe Nelson, Partner in Guidehouse’s Defense & Security Segment, provide public and private sector perspectives on how we can collectively further supply chain resilience.

Elizabeth Van Absher, Director of Logistics Services and Supply Chain Management, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Elizabeth "Beth" Van Absher is the director of Logistics Services and Supply Chain Management at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) overseeing $1.9B worth of accountable personal property, fleet, and the NIH Supply Center (NIHSC). The NIHSC is the agency’s priority source for laboratory, fire, safety, and administrative supplies, and is the agency’s mandated source for personal protective equipment (PPE). Van Absher is the lead for the NIH Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) Council, in addition to serving as the agency representative on the HHS SCRM. She is a critical driver of good for government outcomes, ensuring supply chain stability through strategic sourcing, enterprise data sharing, collaboration, and modernization.

Van Absher is an integral part of the NIH and HHS teams to implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Public Law 117-58, collaborating across acquisitions, policy, HHS agencies and suppliers to ensure compliance with IIJA. Beth was also the lead for the PPE Plan of Action under Section 708 of the Defense Production Act in Response to COVID-19, during which the NIH Supply Center provided critical PPE to national intake sites on behalf of HHS to volunteers, children, families, and refugees. She also served as the agency lead for nitrile glove enterprise sourcing on behalf of HHS’s BuySmarter program.

Moshe Nelson, Partner Guidehouse
Bio: Moshe has provided supply chain management strategy, technology, and analytics across the public and private sector for nearly twenty years. As a result, clients have reduced operating costs by over $300M, fielded advanced technologies in an efficient and effective manner, and established accountable and data driven means for critical lifecycle supply chain management. Moshe has supported the health, defense, homeland security, diplomatic, and infrastructure arenas to improve supply chain resiliency across the United States.

Guidehouse
Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public sector and commercial markets, with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. By combining our public and private sector expertise, we help clients address their most complex challenges and navigate significant regulatory pressures focusing on transformational change, business resiliency, and technology-driven innovation. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and digital services, we create scalable, innovative solutions that help our clients outwit complexity and position them for future growth and success.

The public focus of EHR modernization has been on configuring a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution that blends all the requirements that are unique to the VA with a system that is widely used in the commercial sector. But equally or even more importantly, the VA needs to continue to invest in, maintain, and upgrade its current EHR – the Veterans Health Information System Technology Architecture (VistA).

Today we discuss these insights which are from a recent Federal News Network guest article authored by David Whitmer, FACHE, vice president for federal operations at DSS Inc. David also discusses how no matter what the outcome of the COTS solution, VistA will remain the vital backbone of VA operations.



David Whitmer, FACHE, Vice President for Federal Operations at DSS Inc.

Mr. Whitmer is the Vice President, Federal Operations at DSS Inc., and is a board-certified healthcare executive with 30 years of public health experience at the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Health Administration, including 20 years in C-suite positions, and 10 years as member of the Senior Executive Service.

DSS Inc.
Document Storage Systems, Inc. (DSS) is a catalyst for health care innovation, keeping pace with evolving technologies as a solutions provider, systems integrator, and services contractor to the Department of Veterans Affairs. DSS is committed to assisting VA in its High Reliability Organization journey and delivering care quality for Veterans by meeting top initiatives, changing regulatory requirements, and implementing enhanced business transformation across VA enterprise.

Every day in the United States, thousands of legitimate prescriptions for the opioid class of pharmaceuticals are written to mitigate acute pain during post-operation recovery, chronic back and neck pain, and a host of other cases where patients experience moderate-to-severe discomfort. While many of these drugs provide pain relief, the potential for misuse and outright abuse due to their addictive nature is extremely high.

Since the 1990s, opioid abuse in the U.S. skyrocketed to the point that in 2017 the Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. This epidemic affects more than just individuals – families and communities, as well as the U.S. healthcare system at the federal, state, and local level, carry this burden emotionally and financially.

Solving this crisis can and should be supported by insights gained from the vast amounts of data available to healthcare providers and government agencies. The healthcare industry, in partnership with government agencies, must engage with a robust modern data management solution that can extract electronic health data in the form of controlled substance data, prescriber data, and patient data and transform it into meaningful, measurable, and actionable information. Today we talk with Rob Carey, the President of Cloudera Government Solutions on this topic.

Rob Carey, President of Cloudera Government Solutions

As a highly recognized executive, Rob Carey leads the public sector team at Cloudera Government Solutions during a time in government when data-centric projects and digital transformation is of the utmost importance. As former U.S. Navy CIO and Deputy DOD CIO, Carey uses his 30+ years of federal experience to apply what’s needed to meet the standards for the future of IT modernization in government. He supports customers across the federal civilian and defense sector as they continue to navigate data-driven challenges and work to meet key White House directives.

Cloudera Government Solutions

Government agencies are faced with a multitude of challenges, including aging legacy systems, fraud and abuse, and sophisticated cyberattacks. More than ever, they need a proven platform that can securely manage their data. Cloudera Government Solutions addresses these challenges by simplifying data acquisition and delivery – providing public sector leaders with the insights they need to make better and more timely decisions.
Cloudera Government Solutions partners with federal, state and local, and higher education institutions to support data security and governance mandates, modernize data architectures across any platform, and meet the zero-trust mandate related to data flow. With customers across 40 global governments, Cloudera can accelerate data movement and digital transformation to accomplish your mission.