VistA vying for Meaningful Use certification; SAIC wins contract to provide IT support for TRICARE's online system;

> The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to submit its VistA electronic health record for Meaningful Use certification, Government Health IT reports. According to Theresa Cullen, who spoke to Government Health IT last week, director of health informatics at the Veterans Health Administration, modular certification already has been done for "about 10 modules." Article

> Science Applications International Corporation has been awarded a prime contract by the Defense Health Services System to provide IT support for the TRICARE Online system, and to expand Blue Button capability, SAIC announced this week. If all options on the contract are exercised, the total value will be approximately $11 million. Announcement

> A web-based employee self-management program was able to help individuals with pre-hypertension or hypertension to lower their blood pressure rates significantly, according to a study conducted by the Partners HealthCare Center for Connected Health published this month in the American Heart Journal. More than 400 employees at EMC Corporation in Massachusetts participated in the research. Abstract

And Finally… Similar to how you handle a child throwing a temper tantrum. Article