The technology cartel that dominates the Health Department

On May 16, 2023, the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI) published that SupportPR — a technology company linked to a donor and collaborator of Governor Pedro Pierluisi — has dominated technology contracting at the Department of Health (DS) since the pandemic, in work that, according to the investigation, exceeds 144 million.

CPI found that at least half of those payments have gone to companies tied to donors of the Governor and other New Progressive Party (PNP) politicians, according to the Electoral Comptroller’s Office (OCE) donor registry. The piece also flags possible inflated charges, duplicated services and unnecessary contracts, while Health’s Planning, Evaluation and Statistics area — where the internal technology division sits — has an annual budget of only 4.4 million.

SupportPR is at the center of an inquiry by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office over possible misuse of federal funds, according to sources close to the investigation cited by CPI; the FBI is also said to have taken interest over a possible crossover with the Pierluisi cousins corruption case. The three agencies said they can neither confirm nor deny investigations. Alongside SupportPR, CPI names Orsys Consulting, Nagnoi, Intervoice Communication of Puerto Rico, Health Gorilla, NTT Data EAS and Digheontech: those firms, with SupportPR, have totaled nearly 70 million in contracts since 2020.

SupportPR’s general manager, Rubén Vázquez Nieves, and its executive director, Yadira Galarza Berríos, were unavailable; their attorney María Domínguez Victoriano spoke. Digheontech (Peter Díaz) said HHS-OIG asked them for information and that they are cooperating; Health Gorilla (Javier Jiménez Jirau) denied being under investigation. Díaz alleged that Vázquez Nieves tried to impose subcontractors and that Health canceled his contract — a version Esdras Vélez Rodríguez and Rafael Gralau attribute to the work no longer being needed.

Six separate sources cited by CPI place Andrés Guillemard Noble (the Governor’s brother-in-law) as a force behind Vázquez Nieves and the allocation of contracts; Guillemard declined to answer. SupportPR’s history with Health began in summer 2020 under Wanda Vázquez Garced, via Johnny Colón González; later amendments under Carlos Mellado López changed hours and administrative control. Contracting or amending is not embezzling. An open federal inquiry is not a conviction.