July 07, 2011
A potential bidder on a lucrative contract to develop an electronic drug-information system in Ontario is staffed by former players in the eHealth spending controversy.
eHealth Ontario announced earlier this week that two companies, Telus Health Solutions and Maximus Canada, have been “prequalified” to bid on a request for proposals to develop an electronic drug-information system.
“The prequalified companies demonstrated the experience, the qualified resources and the financial strength to develop and deliver a drug information system of this size and complexity for all Ontarians,” according to an eHealth press release issued Tuesday.
Embattled eHealth Ontario, which is developing digital health records for the province, awarded contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars to outside consultants without competitive tenders.
The controversy dominated media coverage of Ontario politics in the summer of 2009 and led health minister David Caplan to resign from cabinet and Premier Dalton McGuinty to tighten the rules for arm’s-length agencies.
Two of Telus Health Solution’s senior executives, Michael Guerriere and Dave Wattling, previously held key positions at Courtyard Group, a consulting firm that was awarded sole-sourced eHealth contracts.
“The prequalified companies demonstrated the experience, the qualified resources and the financial strength to develop and deliver a drug information system of this size and complexity for all Ontarians,” according to an eHealth press release issued Tuesday.
Embattled eHealth Ontario, which is developing digital health records for the province, awarded contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars to outside consultants without competitive tenders.
The controversy dominated media coverage of Ontario politics in the summer of 2009 and led health minister David Caplan to resign from cabinet and Premier Dalton McGuinty to tighten the rules for arm’s-length agencies.
