WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.  –   Defense Health Agency leaders recognized Walter Reed’s Information Technology (IT) team for its work in auditability compliance, cyber security, and rationalization/alignment of resources at the 2023 Defense Health Information Technology Symposium on Aug. 8 in New Orleans.

Tonya Reeder, Sharon Opel, and Stephen Ngeke accepted the award on behalf of Walter Reed’s IT team at the symposium. Reeder serves as chief information officer at Walter Reed. Opel is the chief technology officer at Walter Reed. Ngeke is division chief of infrastructure and operation at Walter Reed.

“The award is for aligning resources and requirements in Ektropy, an IT tool used across the DHA that provides insight into personnel, programs, cost, and contracts across all IT activities,” Reeder explained. “[We] completed the tasking at a higher percentage rate versus other IT departments within DHA,” she explained.

According to DHA officials, the key benefits of Ektropy are that it “standardizes processes to maintain uniformity across the organization; eliminates redundancy to improve costs and availability for value-added tasks; provides audit controls to drive increased accountability; centralizes planning and execution data for a comprehensive view and analysis; and streamlines reporting and oversight through dashboards and analytics.”

DHA Deputy Director Dr. Michael Malanoski has stated that the DHA is moving from 20 markets to nine Defense Health Networks (DHNs), with each DHN led by a flag officer/general officer who will ensure every military treatment facility (MTF) has the same level of support, provide a clear link to the DHA headquarters, and give MTF leaders more time to focus on their people and enhance patient care in their local communities.” Ektropy will support this uniformity across the DHA.

The IT team at Walter Reed, and other IT teams throughout the DHA, have implemented Ektropy to enhance program and portfolio management and facilitate information sharing.

DHA officials add that the Defense Health Information Technology Symposium provides a forum for “knowledge sharing, innovative ideas, discussions of lessons learned, and the introduction of new developments within the Military Health System.” In addition to DHA recognizing Walter Reed with the PEO Medical Systems/CIO, Rationalization/Alignment of Resources Award, other IT teams earning recognition for their work were Evans Army Community Hospital at Fort Carson, Colorado, and Irwin Army Community Hospital at Fort Riley, Kansas.