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Digital Modernization

Contact Tracing: Rapid Operational Response to COVID-19 Tracing in Arkansas

As COVID-19 cases began to rise in Arkansas this July, GDIT rapidly responded by deploying a statewide Contact Tracing System for the Arkansas Department of Health. This system was operational within one week of contract award, ensuring the state could respond quickly to rises in coronavirus cases.

GDIT is managing and overseeing the contact tracing program, set up the operations– the systems, the training, and more – as well as quickly hiring more than 350 people to support it, including:
• Registered Nurses (RNs), who conduct case investigations on the front lines
• Contact tracers who would help exposed contacts understand the importance of quarantine and enrolling them in a monitoring program

Gathering critical information for effective contact tracing

When a person tests positive COVID-19 test, it’s important to reach them quickly to conduct an effective assessment of their recent contacts and monitor their wellbeing. In these cases, efficiency and empathy are key—the people the team reaches are don’t feel well and are likely anxious about this novel virus.

“This is critical work during unprecedented time for the state of Arkansas and for our country,” said Scott Mack, Vice President and General Manager for GDIT’s State and Local Sector. “The GDIT team provided an innovative solution and operations team that responded to the client’s ever changing environment. They understand the importance of the mission and have worked tirelessly to deliver on our commitments to our client and the citizens they serve.”

As of November 28, 2020, the GDIT team has been assigned 35,654 cases, generating over 84,794 contacts and completing 88% of the contacts and enrolling them in the state’s monitoring system.

Innovations rapidly deployed to launch new system

GDIT quickly set in motion a plan to support both inbound and outbound calls at a contact tracing center that had been previously managed by the state. To do it, we rapidly employed an Omni channel strategy using our cloud-based telephony Automatic Call Distribution as a Service solution, incorporating texting as a means to increase reach of contacts. In parallel, our software developers built a new system on the ServiceNow platform designed to support process workflows, case notes, and call tracking. This new system was deployed and operational within one week of contract award.