Defense Health Agency Sought Data Hosting Strategies
The agency released a request for information to define hosting and security models for its OBHAT/BHAS program.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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The Defense Health Agency has issued a request for information (RFI) to determine how to host, integrate, and secure data for its OBHAT/BHAS program. This research-stage inquiry covers diverse data types generated by both Department of Veterans Affairs and vendor-developed applications.
Why it matters
The agency currently lacks a finalized enterprise strategy for governing this health data, making this move essential to building a cohesive infrastructure. It represents a broader effort to modernize how clinical, financial, and operational records are managed across federal systems.
The agency has defined 14 Minimum Essential Characteristics for potential solutions to accommodate structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data. These systems must utilize integration patterns including batch processing and APIs (application programming interfaces—software tools that allow different applications to communicate).
The players
Defense Health Agency
The combat support agency that provides health services to the U.S. military, responsible for implementing digital infrastructure across the Military Health System.
Bryan Heickman
The designated point of contact for the submission of RFI materials related to the OBHAT/BHAS program data hosting.
Medical R&D Contracting Division 2
The contracting unit located in Fort Detrick, Maryland, managing the procurement activity for this health data infrastructure.
The details
Respondents must submit a technical response that includes a notional architecture diagram and rough-order-of-magnitude cost estimates for the proposed system. The agency is evaluating a wide range of architectures, including DHA-managed, cloud-native, vendor-hosted, and federated models. This approach aims to address the integration of diverse clinical, administrative, and assessment records.
Timeline
March 2026: The DHA launched a Data and Innovation Strategy.
October 26, 2026: Deadline for industry partners to submit RFI responses.
November 10, 2026: The opportunity will be set to inactive.
December 3, 2026: The Potomac Officers Club Healthcare Summit occurs.
The Tech Race
This RFI follows the mandates established by the March 2026 DHA Data and Innovation Strategy to unify disparate health record ecosystems. It highlights the agency's competitive race to reconcile legacy data architectures with modern cloud-based security requirements.
This RFI does not change existing systems for users today, as it is a preliminary step to shape future contracting priorities for fiscal year 2027. Developers and vendors should monitor the final strategy to determine technical compatibility requirements for federal health data integration.
The takeaway
The agency is moving toward a formalized data governance model for its OBHAT/BHAS program. Stakeholders should track the outcome of the October 26, 2026, response deadline to see which hosting architectures the DHA prioritizes for the upcoming fiscal year.
What happens next
Industry partners must submit their responses by October 26, 2026, ahead of the opportunity closure on November 10, 2026, and potential discussions at the Potomac Officers Club Healthcare Summit on December 3, 2026.
Further reading
For broader context on federal digital security mandates, explore the Cybersecurity section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Executive Gov.
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