VA revamping IT infrastructure

The U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) has set plans to realign its IT organization over the next two years. The VA has awarded a $16 million contract to IBM to accomplish the job, which will encompass the Veteran's Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration and National Cemetery Administration. The VA already has a widely-praised health IT infrastructure [1] in place, including the Veterans Health Information Systems & Technology Architecture (VistA), which maintains electronic health records for more than five million patients seen at the VA's 1,400 health care facilities. The VA now wants to better integrate and align its overall IT infrastructure--while boosting data security. Why? The theft of 26.5 million records earlier this year [2] has something to do with it. Shortly after the theft, which occurred when a laptop was stolen, the agency announced plans to encrypt laptop and desktop data, but this obviously offers a more comprehensive approach.

For more background on the VA's plans:
- read this release [3] from IBM