Medsphere and Hewlett-Packard Host First Annual Collaborative Healthcare Forum
WHAT: Medsphere and HP will co-host the Collaborative Healthcare Forum, a summit focusing on the benefits of electronic health records (EHRs), Open Source technology and improvements in patient care. Executives from more than 350 healthcare providers across the country have been invited to New York City this fall to collaborate, learn best practices, share success stories and work to improve the quality and decrease the cost of healthcare using Open Source tools. WHEN: Thursday, October 2, 2008 WHERE: Westin Hotel–Times Square, New York, NY WHY: The future effectiveness of America’s healthcare system depends on collaboration. While traditional vendor-based solutions are neither cost-effective nor interoperable with existing systems, Open Source technology is a proven and viable option. Many healthcare industry leaders and government officials are now looking to EHR mandates to increase adoption of healthcare technology, and Open Source provides the only realistic alternative in identifying a truly universal solution. The Collaborative Healthcare Forum will explore innovative solutions to healthcare’s current problems, including the potential of Open Source electronic records; high acuity care delivery automation for emergency, perioperative and critical care departments; and the integration of devices, systems, people and healthcare organizations. The discussion is timely. Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA) recently introduced legislation requiring the federal government to establish standards for an interoperable health IT system and to create an Open Source health IT system that would be made available to all healthcare providers at little or no cost. WHO: Collaborative Healthcare Forum speakers will include the following industry experts: Dr. John Halamka — CIO of the CareGroup Health System, CIO and Dean for Technology at Harvard Medical School, Chairman of the New England Health Electronic Data Interchange Network (NEHEN), CEO of MA-SHARE, Chair of the US Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) and a practicing emergency physician. Dr. Halamka will address Open Source electronic health records, covering both their potential for use and caveats. Larry Augustin — founder of VA Linux and a pioneer in Open Source technology. Mr. Augustin will address the value of technological collaboration within the healthcare system. Ken Kizer — former Undersecretary of Health in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and founding president and CEO of the National Quality Forum. Dr. Kizer will discuss in depth the most successful EHR solution in the U.S. today — the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ VistA system. Jeffrey Miller — vice president, Worldwide Health and Life Sciences Industries, Hewlett-Packard Company (HP). Mr. Miller will speak about developing technology solutions that increase access to vital information and improve patient care by integrating technology, devices and providers, thereby providing insight into decision-making within healthcare organizations that increases productivity. Medsphere — Senior executives will share insight into the Open Source business model, adoption challenges and clinical transformation using Open Source EHRs. CONTACT: Media interested in finding out more about this event should contact Marisa Borgasano or Lily Eng of Schwartz Communications at (415) 512-0770 or medsphere@schwartz-pr.com.
For more information, please visit the First Annual Collaborative Healthcare Forum for the conference agenda. For media registration, the form can be found on the lower portion of the website.
About Medsphere Systems Corporation
As the Open Source source for healthcare, Medsphere is revolutionizing the industry by delivering commercially supported software based on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ proven VistA electronic health record (EHR). Medsphere offers healthcare an economically sustainable and comprehensive solution in OpenVista(R), a portfolio of products and professional services for hospitals, clinics, and integrated delivery networks. The company addresses the capital constraints of the healthcare industry through an innovative subscription-based pricing model. Medsphere’s experienced team of healthcare technology professionals and unique suite of implementation tools deliver a fluid transition to a comprehensive healthcare information technology solution. Founded in 2002, Medsphere is backed financially by Azure Capital Partners, Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, and the Wasatch Venture Fund. For more information, visit www.medsphere.com.
CONTACT: Marisa Borgasano Lily Eng Schwartz Communications (415) 512-0770 medsphere@schwartz-pr.com
SOURCE: Medsphere
