A JJR spokeswoman referred questions about the issue to a DHA representative, for whom a message was left.
Since about 2016, the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies have investigated “anomalous health incidents,” another term the government sometimes uses to describe physical symptoms including ringing in the ears, nausea, headaches and other ailments that government officials have experienced in embassies and other posts abroad.
The array of symptoms is sometimes called “Havana Syndrome,” a reference to the experiences of U.S. diplomats and spies in Cuba. The symptoms have never been fully explained.
The DHA oversees the assessment and treatment of all government patients affected, JJR said.
“Essentially Team JJR is going to help DHA improve the efficiency of their emerging threat services,” JJR Program Manager Meaghan Meeker said in an announcement from JJR. “We’ll support them in developing processes and procedures, updating clinical guidance, improving data collection, and developing a long-term plan for those affected by emerging threats.”
The contract began in September with JJR members working from the Washington, D.C. area as well as the Philadelphia and Boston areas, the company said.
The DHA contract was established through JJR’s Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Basic Ordering Agreement, which is available to any Federal agency. The SBIR gives clients full access to JJR’s “Magnify” methodology, which the company described as a “design process that keeps end users as the focus and helps them adapt to new processes and systems smoothly.”
“Because emerging threats impact the health of government employees as well as force-readiness, this truly is an opportunity for us to fulfill our purpose of improving the health, security, and well-being of our communities and nation,” said David LaBarca, JJR vice president of customer mission success for veteran and military health.
The contract is a multi-million-dollar contract spanning one base year plus one option year, a spokeswoman for JJR said. The precise value of the contract was not given.
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