CSC to oversee NIH medical info systems overhaul

Computer Sciences Corp. won a contract to support the National Institutes of Health in modernizing and expanding its medical information systems. The $32 million agreement, announced Oct. 24, is for one year and has five one-year options.

Under the contract, CSC will help NIH replace and expand systems supporting clinical care and the collection of research data. About 36 CSC employees will provide NIH with systems integration, program management and training services, and apply industry expertise to improve operations and patient care.

"The existing system is 25 years old. That means it was based on technology at a time when there were no standards, so it's very difficult to interconnect with other systems," said Dr. Stephen Rosenfeld, chief of the department of clinical research informatics at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center. The center is NIH's on-site hospital that conducts clinical research. "It had to provide patient support functions [and] never supported research very well. ? With the new capabilities made possible by technology, we can support both care and research as primary functions."

Based in El Segundo, Calif., CSC employs more than 66,000 people worldwide. It reported revenue of $11.5 billion for the 12 months ended June 28.