Another group of health IT powerhouses is joining forces to compete with Epic and IBM for the Department of Defense's lucrative $11 billion system modernization contract.

[See also: IBM, Epic unite for massive DoD contract]

A team led by CSC, with Allscripts and HP also on board, will go after the Pentagon's much-sought-after 10-year Defense Department’s Healthcare Management Systems Modernization contract, which will develop electronic health record technology for nearly 10 million service members in military locations across the globe.

The project aims to connect disparate health information systems – located at Army hospitals, on Naval vessels, in battlefield clinics and beyond – into one open and interoperable platform serving active duty members, reservists and civilian contractors.


[See also: Military CIOs give frank talk about EHRs]

CSC touts its long experience in both government private sector health information technology. Allscripts, with a large customer base using its EHRs, and HP, with a 50-years track record of developing IT projects for Military Health and VA, round out the bidding team.

CSC officials say Allscripts, whose clients include UPMC and the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, would bring its open architecture to bear on the project, enabling DoD to innovate in the years ahead, maximizing the reuse of systems and data and capitalizing on future advancements in technology.

"As a practicing physician in the Navy and civilian sector, I personally understand the importance of this initiative and am honored for the opportunity to extend my experience and expertise in DoD mission and medical knowledge to this team," said Robert M. Wah, MD, CSC's chief medical officer and president of the American Medical Association, in a June 24 statement.

"CSC is the world's largest health systems integrator," he added. "As such, we know that secure access to actionable data, system usability and agility will be critical to the program's success. Together with our teammates, we will deliver a solution that improves care of military beneficiaries and keeps our fighting force strong and fit. We intend to provide to military members and their families the same outstanding service that they deliver to our nation on a regular basis."