A big new contract vehicle is coming early next year, and it's all about small business. Awards will be coming from the National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center. Because of NIH's role in health care and health information, contractors on the new, government-wide acquisition contract will have expertise in health IT.

Ed Wilgus, senior contracting officer at NIHTAAC, spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris from Wednesday's AFCEA Bethesda's Health IT Day 2011 Conference.

Wilgus discussed the NIH's Chief Information Officer Solutions and Partners Three, a new contract that will help support government IT efforts, while focusing on health and biomedical-related IT services in support of the health missions of federal agencies.

Wilgus is speaking at the conference's Small Business Innovation Luncheon. He will also be one of the agency representatives participating in the federal roundtables in the afternoon. Conference attendees will have the chance to discuss the challenges facing the public and private sectors as they pursue innovation and affordable healthcare 18 months after the adoption of the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Check out more coverage of Bethesda Health IT Day 2011.