DATACARD AWARDED MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT FOR NEW VA PATIENT IDENTIFICATION CARD.MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 1996-- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Affairs is a term of the business that deals with the relation between a government and its veteran communities, usually administered by the designated government agency. has selected DataCard Corporation to provide the card personalization Custom tailoring information to the individual. On the Web, personalization means returning a page that has been customized for the user, taking into consideration that person's habits and preferences. systems and magnetic stripe card A magnetic stripe card is a type of card capable of storing data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material on the card. readers for its new, universal Veteran's Identification Card (VIC VIC Victor VIC Victoria (State of Australia) VIC Victory VIC Victim (police slang) VIC Vicinity VIC Vicar VIC Vicarage VIC Virtual Information Center (APAN) ) program. Under the VIC program, the VA will issue multi-purpose patient identification cards to more than 2.3 million eligible veterans. The plastic cards will feature cardholder card·hold·er n. One who holds a card, especially a credit card. card  hold photos, encoded magnetic stripes, bar codes, printed information and embossed em·boss tr.v. em·bossed, em·boss·ing, em·boss·es 1. To mold or carve in relief: emboss a design on a coin. 2. data. Initially, the cards and readers will be used to automate and speed the application/registration process at all VA health care facilities. Long-term plans call for the cards to serve as a platform for a variety of automated systems that help the VA improve service, reduce costs and fight fraud and abuse. "The VA chose our solutions for a number of reasons -- including our nationwide service and our history of success in large scale government ID programs," said Bob Zangueneh, DataCard program manager. "Plus, our solutions offered an attractive mix of price and performance." The DataCard solution for the VIC program features the DataCard(R) QuikWorks(TM) image capture station and the modular DataCard(R) 280 Series card personalization system. The turnkey solution allows the VA to personalize cards in a fast, single-pass operation. In-line capabilities include thermal printing of photos and text, embossing embossing, process of producing upon various materials designs or patterns in relief by mechanical means. The material is pressed between a pair of dies especially adapted to its hardness and the depth of the design needed. and magnetic stripe encoding. "The DataCard QuikWorks and 280 Series products provide a perfect fit for the VA's current needs," Zangueneh said. "The modular design In the context of systems engineering, modular design — or "modularity in design" — is an approach aiming to subdivide a system into smaller parts (modules) that can be independently created and then used in different systems to drive multiple functionalities. lets VA start with the card issuance capabilities they need today. Then, they can simply add new capabilities -- such as smart card personalization modules -- as the program expands." Veterans will be able to use their VIC card to access health care benefits at any VA health care facility. "The VIC cards initially will allow the VA to speed the registration process. Clerical staff will be able to swipe cards through a DataCard(R) 110 card reader and retrieve complete, up-to- date patient information from a central database -- instantly," Zangueneh said. "Eventually, physicians and other authorized personnel will use VIC cards to access timely, accurate patient information." "This automated process eliminates the need for long forms and tedious admitting practices," Zangueneh added. "Instead, the VA can process patients quickly and spend more time on what really matters -- providing quality patient care." In addition to faster registration, photos on the cards will help the VA curb fraud and abuse. The VA also plans to look at the feasibility of using the VIC card for other applications, including credit and debit programs in canteens and pharmacies and automated scheduling in service areas, such as radiology centers and laboratories. "Our solution will allow them to make use of the image database that's created during the card issuance process," Zangueneh said. "For example, if a patient with Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (ăls`hī'mərz, ôls–), degenerative disease of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex that leads to atrophy of the brain and senile dementia. is missing, they'll be able to transmit a photo to all VA health care facilities, police organizations and other groups that can help locate the patient." While DataCard provides many government organizations around the world with photo ID systems and other plastic card solutions, company officials said the VIC program represents a significant milestone. "We believe this is the single largest procurement of photo ID systems ever conducted by a U.S. government agency," said Richard Swingle Swin´gle v. i. 1. To dangle; to wave hanging. 2. To swing for pleasure. v. t. 1. To clean, as flax, by beating it with a swingle, so as to separate the coarse parts and the woody substance from it; to scutch. , senior vice president of DataCard's instant issuance business unit. "It's an excellent program with tremendous potential for the VA. We're excited to be part of it." DataCard Corporation, a privately-held company based in Minneapolis, Minn., is a world leader in innovative plastic card solutions. The company offers a spectrum of card-related products and services, including card personalization systems, digital photo ID systems, transaction terminals and systems integration services. (www.datacard.com) CONTACT: Mark Iverson Director, Marketing Communications Marketing communications (or marcom) are messages and related media used to communicate with a market. Those who practice advertising, branding, direct marketing, graphic design, marketing, packaging, promotion, publicity, sponsorship, public relations, sales, sales (612) 988-1763 mark_iverson@datacard.com |
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