First federal cloud-based EHR system will ultimately improve healthcare delivery for 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives
FALLS CHURCH, Va. – General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), announced the successful launch of the Indian Health Services’ (IHS) new enterprise electronic health record system, PATH EHR.
On September 26, three health facilities across the Lawton Service Unit in Oklahoma, including the Lawton Indian Hospital, Anadarko Indian Health Center and Carnegie Indian Health Center, transitioned to the Oracle Health platform, hosted in a cloud environment. This milestone benefits 23,000 active patients at Lawton Service Unit, with future deployments across IHS and tribal health facilities ultimately serving 2.8 million nationwide.
IHS provides health services to American Indian and Alaska Native peoples through facilities located in 37 states. As the first federal EHR system fully built on the cloud, the system will meet the evolving needs of these communities giving providers real-time patient data, enabling patients to better access their health information, and enhancing the quality of care. It will also allow facilities to fully transition to digital records and improve data sharing across geographically dispersed communities and other federal EHR systems.
“PATH EHR is designed to keep “patients at the heart” of health care and to modernize how health information is managed and shared across IHS,” shared Mitchell Thornbrugh, chief information officer at IHS. “It begins the replacement of our Resource and Patient Management System, which has supported care for over 40 years. This is the first step in putting modern, connected tools directly into the hands of the providers who serve our patients and communities every day.”
As the system is deployed at future sites, emergency medical providers can instantly view records across the entire IHS system, while triaging care. Behavioral health providers can review therapy notes, track results and deliver integrated care. Pharmacists can run drug interaction checks and dispense medications more safely. Communication tools connect clinicians, staff and patients by leveraging an updated patient portal, reducing delays in health services and ensuring health records are accessible across every facility they visit.
"Bringing this new enterprise electronic health record system to life at Lawton is a defining moment for GDIT, IHS and the communities it serves," said Kamal Narang, senior vice president for Federal Health at GDIT. "For the first time, providers across the IHS system will have a single, modern health record that follows the patient wherever they receive care. We are proud to advance IHS’s mission through innovative technology solutions that will improve health outcomes for generations."
“Improving care for American Indian and Alaska Native communities starts with giving clinicians a more complete picture of each patient’s health,” said Seema Verma, executive vice president and general manager, Oracle Health and Life Sciences. “Together with IHS and GDIT, we are giving clinicians the information they need to make more informed decisions, enable more coordinated treatment, and deliver the best possible care.”
This launch aligns with GDIT’s broader Vision, Innovation and Acceleration (VIA) strategy unveiled earlier this year, which prioritizes investment in new solutions to enhance government services and accelerate modernization across federal agencies.
GDIT is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 120,000 people worldwide and generated $52.6 billion in revenue in 2025. More information about General Dynamics Information Technology is available at www.gdit.com. More information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com.
Media Relations
Oliver Nutt
Oliver.Nutt@gdit.com