The healthcare sector is going through an unprecedented period of transformation. This year alone, healthcare IT outsourcing will increase nearly 8 percent – and General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) saw the trend coming.
In 2015, GDIT launched the General Dynamics Health Solutions brand signaling the company’s long-term commitment in an area that is not a traditional defense contractor market. General Dynamics Health Solutions provides solutions to health organizations in the defense, federal civilian government, state and local government, commercial and international sectors.
The business’s launch comes on the heels of the 2011 acquisition of Vangent, a healthcare IT and business systems provider to federal agencies. Since then, General Dynamics Health Solutions has grown to include capabilities in health data management and analytics, facility outfitting and logistics, IT services and infrastructure, among other key capabilities.
“Over the last year, we’ve seen the healthcare market emerge as one of our biggest growth areas,” says Jay Jones, Vice President, Business Development, Health and Civilian Solutions Division. “We made a strategic decision to focus on healthcare and launching the General Dynamics Health Solutions brand demonstrates our commitment to the health marketplace.”
Domain Knowledge
As a company, GDIT operates in a multitude of diverse segments, from defense and intelligence to health and commercial. However, regardless of the market, what focuses its technology strategy is an emphasis on domain knowledge.
“In the case of healthcare we employ health experts, both clinicians and medical staff, who understand the data, processes and customer mission in conjunction with the technology. In the Health and Civilian Solutions Division, this domain knowledge spans health, education, commerce and specific government missions such as immigration reform,” says Jones. “As we work with our customers, our technology strategies evolve, and we share best practices across the division. This ensures we are developing specific solutions to address our customer’s needs and delivering innovation across the business.”
In the case of General Dynamics Health Solutions, this technology strategy is driven by one key approach: using IT as an enabler, a way to improve healthcare quality, balance health costs and deliver efficiencies. “General Dynamics Health Solutions is well-positioned to partner with healthcare organizations,” says Jones, citing the protection of personal identifiable and personal healthcare information as an example. “Technology and the effective and secure use of data are at the forefront of addressing the challenges facing our healthcare systems. Achieving data insights, connecting health systems and health information to advance decision-making is critical.
Shift From the Cloud
A recent trend the company has focused its attention on has been supporting clients in the shift away from legacy systems toward the cloud – a move that’s occurring across federal agencies. General Dynamics Health Solutions’ approach is to provide a variety of cloud solutions and work with customers at every stage of this process.
“Step one is defining a cloud strategy and identifying the most appropriate cloud solution – be it a public, private or hybrid cloud model,” says Jones. “From there, we have the capabilities to build, migrate or enable the customer to manage their cloud. Central to our cloud strategy is our ability to provide customers with comprehensive cloud solutions. Based on that, we designed, developed and manage our own cloud the – GDIT Cloud – to present our customers with a multitude of options and flexibility.
Growing International Footprint
With a diverse business and an emerging international footprint, Jones recognizes the company’s employees as its most valuable asset.
“We are very selective from a hiring standpoint. It is critical that our staff exhibit the highest levels of integrity along with a total commitment to fulfilling customer missions,” says Jones, who counts his years of military service, and the loyalty it engendered, as key factors in his current leadership role.
“The fiber of our company is built from the military threads – and that common ethos that exists between GDIT and the Armed Services is something that resonated with me.”
