By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – The Alabama Medicaid Agency has initiated a new program to consolidate medical information about its patients in one computer file.
Agency director Carol Steckel said at a news conference Tuesday the program will help doctors prescribe the right course of treatment.
But the $3.7 million contract was awarded to a Texas company whose CEO stepped down last year in an ethics probe. And questions were raised about the performance of Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) in other states and about its consulting contract with Governor Riley's former chief of staff, Toby Roth.
Steckel said the two-year contract will begin in 11 counties and will allow the agency to create an electronic health record for Medicaid patients.
But questions for Steckel centered on problems A-C-S has had in other states, the resignation of former C-E-O Mark King.
ACS senior Vice President Will Saunders was asked if the company had a conflict because of Roth's work for ACS as a consultant.
Saunders said Roth was hired after the contract had mostly been negotiated to help the company understand Alabama.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)