Logistics Health Inc. is a La Crosse, Wisconsin based company that was awarded a $790M contract for performing examinations and immunizations of military reservists and National Guard members.
Several competing firms are claiming that the ties of LHI to the administration resulted in LHI getting the contract despite the significantly lower bids offered by them.
Two firms have filed formal protests with the GAO.
Another losing firm's president, Fran Lessans, (of Baltimore based Passport Health) has publicly stated her views for the awarding of the Defense contract to LHI as: "It was wired. There is no doubt in my mind..."
Let's begin this DU collaborative investigation thread with a look at some of the leadership there.
The Chairman and CEO is Don Weber. The President is Tommy Thompson (yep, former Wisconsin Governor and Sect. of the Department of Health and Human Services, recent Republican presidential candidate and the subject of many of my posts here at DU since 2001)
Weber and Thompson got a lot of help incorporating LHI through the biodefense lawyers at Mckenna Long Aldrich.
When the Walter Reed outpatient scandal was breaking last Feb/March (and other VA investigations began) some DU researchers and activists were able to connect people and entities like Richard B. Cheney, Donald M. Rumsfeld, John Snow, International American Products Inc., Cerberus, AIG etc. to the unacceptable conditions and treatment of our veterans.
This thread is going to be much more focused. Several DoD officials were fired/resigned as a result of that "scandal" involving Walter Reed outpatient programs.
What has caught my attention about the allegations of LHI's awarded Defense contract being due to political connections despite lower bids by competitors and formal protests being filed with the GAO are the recent additions to LHI which merit a look by DU.
William Winkenwerder Jr. was the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs when he left the service in April. He held that position from 2001 until his retirement.
Mr. Winkenwerder joined Logistics Health Inc. in June 2007.
David N. Tornberg MD is another recent addition to Logistics Health Inc.
Prior to joining LHI he was serving the Army variously as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Clinical and Program Policy, Chief Medical Officer and acting Deputy Director of TRICARE Management, he helped create the Team STEPPS program, and Dr. Tornberg was responsible for continuation of care to Hurricane Katrina affected military personnel.
Kenneth D. Herbst has joined LHI. He was the former Deputy Secretary General of the Army for Reserve Affairs.
Lt. General Roger C. Schultz (ret) had a remarkable record of National Guard service for 42 years, he was the former Director of the Army National Guard and is now with LHI.
LHI had a business partner during the "bidding process" with Defense for this $790M contract-yet that partner unexpectedly withdrew last spring.
LHI's partner in that process was QTC Management and former George W. Bush appointed Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi is QTC's Chairman.
This contract that LHI "won" is not only for reservists and National Guard members it includes active Army members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Immunizations (knowing what I know about Tommy Thompson's connections with biodefense, vaccines, etc. that is really scary) for those being deployed are part of the contract plus medical and dental exams.
That should be enough information for DU's fantastic researchers to develop this thread further.
Here's a link to an article by Walter J. Roche Jr. of the LA Times and Steve Calahan of the LaCrosse Tribune that was published 10-27-2007 that generated my interest in this latest Tommy Thompson related story.
"LHI competitors cry foul"
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2007/10/27/news/00lead.txtFair use cited.
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