Quick Hits

*** The Defense Department's top acquisition official touted progress made in issuing contracts for needed medical equipment under the Defense Production Act.

At an April 20 briefing, Ellen Lord said that DOD has issued contracts under the Defense Production Act to 3M, the leading manufacturer of N95 masks, as well as to O&M Halyard and Honeywell. DOD expects to add 39 million such masks over 90 days. So far, Lord said that DOD has given the Department of Health and Human Services and Federal Emergency Management Agency 10 million N95 masks out of its stocks with another 10 million primed for delivery.

DOD has also issued nearly 6,000 contracting actions in response to the pandemic, valued at more than $1.5 billion. The largest chunk went to medical construction for mobile hospitals for the military at $700 million with another $415 million going to support HHS for 60 decontamination systems that can make face masks reusable up to 20 times.

*** The joint Defense Department and Veterans Affairs Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization program office launched what it’s calling a new data sharing capability to exchange health data with providers outside DOD and VA.

The move comes as DOD and VA have each paused massive electronic health record upgrades to focus on COVID-19 care.