VitalHealth Software, a leading global provider of web-based solutions for health management established by Mayo Clinic and the Noaber Foundation, today announced that Blair Butterfield has joined the company as President of its North American division. Butterfield joins VitalHealth at a time of rapidly increasing demand for the company’s platform and application solutions.

Next-Generation eHealth solutions provider announces Blair Butterfield as President to lead US growth and expansion

Milwaukee, WI —May 15, 2012—VitalHealth Software, a leading global provider of web-based solutions for health management established by Mayo Clinic and the Noaber Foundation, today announced that Blair Butterfield has joined the company as President of its North American division. With over 20 years of management experience in new market and business development, strategic marketing, product strategy and government initiatives related to healthcare information technology, Mr. Butterfield will expand the company infrastructure and lead all operations in the US and Canada.  Butterfield joins VitalHealth at a time of rapidly increasing demand for the company’s platform and application solutions.

“As a result of ongoing healthcare reforms and government initiatives related to healthcare IT, VitalHealth is experiencing unprecedented growth and demand for our high-quality health management solutions in the U.S.,” said VitalHealth CEO, Laurens Van Der Tang. “As we continue to advance our business and solidify our position in the marketplace, we need proven healthcare IT executives to lead the organization. Blair was selected to run our North American business because of his extensive global industry experience and because he understands how to manage growth and implement effective business strategies. We firmly believe that he will be a fundamental asset in our efforts to meet the increased demand for our eHealth solutions.”

Prior to joining VitalHealth, Butterfield held various senior management positions at GE Healthcare IT. In his most recent role, Butterfield was vice president of eHealth International Development, where he led multiple teams on high-profile multi-million dollar initiatives in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East, China and the Asia Pacific. While at GE he also served two terms on the Board of Directors and Leadership Council of the eHealth Initiative, a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that plays a key role in national health IT advocacy and policy development. Other positions held at GE include: general manager of eHealth Global Marketing, vice president of Connectivity Solutions and general manager of Government Initiatives. He also established and managed an advisory board of ehealth leaders to guide business and product strategy at GE.

Prior to working at GE, Butterfield held senior positions at IDX Systems Corporation, including responsibility for developing government initiatives as well as commercial roles in the Imaging Solutions division. Earlier in his career, he served on the leadership team at Vital Images, Inc and as President of a boutique health IT consulting firm. Butterfield is a frequent invited speaker at global and national health IT events where he shares his expertise in ehealth, health information exchange (HIE), interoperable EHRs, personal health records, 3-D imaging, and image-guided surgery.

About VitalHealth Software

VitalHealth Software delivers web-based software solutions for health management.  The model-driven software platform is used by a growing network of partners.  VitalHealth Software has offices in the U.S., Netherlands and India.  For more information, please visit www.vitalhealthsoftware.com.

MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)– CareCloud, a leading provider of web-based practice management, electronic health records (EHR) and medical billing software and services, today announced that the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce has named CareCloud CEO Albert Santalo the winner of its 2012 Technology Entrepreneur of the Year award.

The accolade was awarded at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Technology Leaders of the Year Awards luncheon Friday at Jungle Island. The awards program honors “individuals that guide the effective use of information technology to improve their companies’ business performance and have had a positive impact in the community.”

“Founding CareCloud and taking the company from a startup to a major player in the healthcare technology industry has been an incredible, rewarding challenge for me and my leadership team,” said CEO Albert Santalo. “As CareCloud continues to expand its client base and disrupt healthcare using cloud computing technology, I could not be more proud that the company is being recognized for its impact. I value the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s exceptional commitment to fostering the growth of the technology industry in South Florida and am very honored to receive this award.”

Mr. Santalo was named the “Best Up and Coming Technology Innovator” by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce in 2010, so this award marks continued recognition of his achievements in the South Florida business community. Mr. Santalo founded CareCloud in 2009 to be a leading force of change in the healthcare industry, focused on eliminating administrative waste and inefficiency through the delivery of a complete digital healthcare ecosystem for provider organizations. He has led CareCloud to rapid growth and the company has created over 100 jobs in South Florida. In January 2012, CNNMoney.com also named Mr. Santalo one of the nation’s top 12 entrepreneurs reinventing health care.

About CareCloud

CareCloud is a leading provider of cloud-based practice management, electronic health records (EHR) and medical billing software and services for medical groups. The company’s products are connecting providers to one another – and to their patients – through a fully integrated digital healthcare ecosystem that can be accessed on any browser or device.

CareCloud is helping more than 1,200 physicians to increase collections, streamline operations and improve patient care in over 30 states. The company was named a winner of IBM’s SmartCamp Silicon Valley 2010 for its innovative technology and received over $20 million in Series A funding from Intel Capital and Norwest Venture Partners. To learn more about CareCloud, please visit www.carecloud.com.

The leading enterprise Real-Time Location System (RTLS) software provider establishes Healthcare Advisory Board and appoints Dr. Kevin Fickenscher as Chairman

Fargo, ND – April 20, 2012 – Intelligent InSites, Inc., the leading provider of enterprise real-time location systems (RTLS) software helping hospitals improve patient care and increase healthcare efficiency, announced today the establishment of the Intelligent InSites Healthcare Advisory Board and the appointment of Kevin Fickenscher, M.D., CPE, FACPE, FAAFP, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), as Chairman of the Healthcare Advisory Board.

The Healthcare Advisory Board will augment Intelligent InSites’ internal team of healthcare experts, providing leadership, guidance, and expertise on trends and issues within the healthcare industry.

“To ensure that we continue to provide our customers with innovative, flexible, and easy-to-use solutions for their highest-priority challenges, we are establishing our Healthcare Advisory Board with experienced healthcare executives, practitioners, and thought leaders to provide us with ongoing guidance, insight, and feedback,” said Dr. Ray Gruby, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Medical Officer of Intelligent InSites. “We sought out Dr. Fickenscher for his healthcare practice experience and his eminent position in the field of healthcare informatics, and we are thrilled to welcome him as the Chairman of our Healthcare Advisory Board.”

Welcoming Dr. Fickenscher as Chairman of the Intelligent InSites Healthcare Advisory Board, Doug Burgum, President and CEO of Intelligent InSites, stated, “Kevin exemplifies the caliber of the individuals who will be joining this board to help us shape the future of our company. We are confident that Kevin’s leadership, insight, and experience will be invaluable for our team, our solutions, and our customers.”

“Intelligent InSites’ transformational ability to automatically collect real-time information from across the healthcare enterprise, then provide actionable intelligence based on that real-time information, is tremendously applicable to today’s healthcare environment,” said Dr. Fickenscher.  “I’m looking forward to building the Healthcare Advisory Board, working with the team at Intelligent InSites, and supporting Intelligent InSites’ vision of improving the quality of care and increasing healthcare efficiency.”

About Dr. Kevin Fickenscher

Kevin M. Fickenscher, M.D., CPE, FACPE, FAAFP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). He is also the Founder of CREO Strategic Solutions, LLC – an organization focused on senior executive strategic support, leadership development, and assistance with evolving care delivery models for the healthcare industry.

Previously, he served in a variety of positions for Dell Healthcare Services on both a domestic and international basis. His Dell experiences were preceded by leadership roles with Perot Systems, where he developed and led Perot Systems’ healthcare consulting practice, served as Chief Medical Officer, and headed up Perot Systems’ International Healthcare Services and Strategic and Development Services. Perot Systems was acquired by Dell, Inc. in November 2009.

Dr. Fickenscher is a recognized physician executive leader with extensive experience in strategic and operational development in complex healthcare organizations. He is a thought leader for technology and information management in healthcare, and holds extensive experience in organizational transformation and development, physician management, health policy analysis, leadership development, and clinical quality and resource/care management. He has consistently been ranked among the Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare. He is a regular participant in discussions and debates related to the future of healthcare throughout the world, including testimony before the U.S. Congress and participation in a variety of international healthcare forums. Among his other accomplishments are his selection as a Regional White House Fellow finalist [1984], a Kellogg National Fellow [1985], and an Emerging Leader in Healthcare [1991]. He also served as the Health Advisor to the 1988 Biden for President Campaign and on the Clinton Healthcare Task Force.

Dr. Fickenscher graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine in 1978 and trained as a family physician. He obtained his Family Practice Board-Certification in 1982, and is a Certified Physician Executive and Fellow with the American College of Physician Executives and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

About Intelligent InSites

Intelligent InSites currently helps healthcare organizations in both civilian and Veterans Affairs environments improve care and reduce costs by transforming automatically-collected data into actionable insights and the intelligent automation of operational workflows. Through its interoperable, hardware-independent, healthcare real-time location system (RTLS) software platform, Intelligent InSites gathers data from real-time location, condition sensing, and other systems; then delivers meaningful information to the right person, at the right time, on the right device. Intelligent InSites’ customers gain enterprise-wide visibility and are able to impact continuous process improvements, resulting in remarkable financial and quality of care outcomes. For more information, visit www.IntelligentInSites.com.

MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)– CareCloud, a leading provider of web-based practice management, revenue cycle management, electronic healthcare record (EHR) and medical billing software and services, today announced that the Company has hired Brad Blakey as Vice President of Sales. Mr. Blakey brings decades of experience establishing and scaling sales operations in the healthcare technology industry. He will join CareCloud as a member of its executive leadership team and will be responsible for managing and streamlining the Company’s growing sales organization. Mr. Blakey will report to Richard Lopez del Rincon, Executive Vice President of Sales.

Brad Blakey most recently served as Vice President of Sales at NextGen Healthcare, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSII) and provider of healthcare information systems and connectivity solutions. He was responsible for all new business sales in the Southern Region. Prior to his role at NextGen Healthcare, Mr. Blakey was Vice President of Sales at athenahealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHN), a provider of cloud-based revenue cycle management and electronic health record services. During his time at athenahealth, he worked to launch the company’s original web-based revenue cycle management service offering, athenaCollector, and established the company’s brand and sales operations in the Midwestern region.

“CareCloud continues to add some of the top executive talent in the healthcare technology market. Brad brings tremendous sales management experience in an entrepreneurial environment, having been a key member of athenahealth’s sales team as it was scaling from less than $1 million in revenue to nearly $100 million by the time of his departure,” said Albert Santalo, Founder, Chairman and CEO of CareCloud. “Given the growing demand for our cloud-based technology, it’s vital that we have top sales leadership talent on the team to ensure that our sales engine is unrivaled.”

“I could not be more excited to join CareCloud at such a pivotal time in its evolution. Having worked in healthcare technology and been exposed to so many different technologies, it is very clear that cloud computing will be the dominant model for how doctors manage their operations and deliver care,” said Blakey. “I cannot think of a company better positioned or with a more disruptive business model than CareCloud. I look forward to working with the leadership and sales teams to bring in new business and sales opportunities.”

Mr. Blakey received his Bachelor of Science from Western Illinois University.

About CareCloud

CareCloud is a leading provider of web-based practice management, revenue cycle management, electronic health record (EHR) and medical billing software and services for medical groups. The company’s products are connecting providers to one another – and to their patients – through a fully integrated digital healthcare ecosystem that can be accessed on any browser or device.

CareCloud is helping more than 1,200 physicians to increase collections, streamline operations and improve patient care in over 30 states. The company was named a winner of IBM’s SmartCamp Silicon Valley 2010 for its innovative technology and received over $20 million in Series A funding from Intel Capital and Norwest Venture Partners. To learn more about CareCloud, please visit www.carecloud.com.

Medicomp Systems’ has announced the promotion of Dave Lareau to Chief Executive Officer. As you may recall, Medicomp Systems is responsible for not only the MEDCIN Engine, embedded into leading EHRs around the world, but also for Quippe, an easy to use physician and nursing documentation tool.

Today in front of the World Health Care Congress (WHCC) in Washington, D.C, Verizon Chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam addressed the challenges facing the U.S. health care delivery system and highlighted Verizon’s efforts to help transform it through information technology.

Demonstrating Verizon’s commitment to the health care marketplace, McAdam announced a strategic relationship with NantWorks LLC, a California-based technology and health care company.  Together the companies will combine their technology strengths to accelerate significant change through highly scalable, connected health IT solutions.

Outlines Challenges Facing U.S. Health Care System; Details Company’s Initiatives to Improve Patient Care, Lower Costs Through Technology

NEW YORK – Verizon Chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam, in an address to the World Health Care Congress today (April 17), detailed the challenges facing the U.S. health care delivery system and highlighted Verizon’s efforts to help transform it through the use of information technology.  McAdam pointed out that for true change to occur, both health care providers and consumers must be on board.

As part of Verizon’s commitment to the health care marketplace, McAdam announced that the company will form a strategic relationship with NantWorks LLC, a California-based technology and health care company.  This initiative follows Verizon’s recent combining of the company’s wired and wireless services and IT and network assets to form an integrated health IT organization.

The companies will leverage NantWorks’ unique set of health care technologies and Verizon’s platform-based health IT portfolio of mobility, cloud and IT offerings to accelerate significant change through highly scalable, connected health IT solutions.

“Today’s health care market operates in silos without the ability to share patient and clinical data at even the most basic levels,” said McAdam. ”Verizon is focused on enabling the transformation of the health care industry through the strategic use of technology that will ultimately lead to significant improvements in the U.S. health care system.”

Verizon and NantWorks’ first initiative will be to create an integrated information infrastructure, the Cancer Knowledge Action Network, to improve the treatment of cancer.  The network will give physicians, for the first time, immediate access to the most up-to-date best-practice information about effective protocols for the treatment of specific cancer conditions.

“The future of medicine is digital and mobile,” said Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, founder and CEO of NantWorks. “NantWorks and Verizon share a common vision for the transformation of the health care industry through ‘big data.’  As one of our first targets, we will explore ways to translate the massive amounts of data available on cancer treatment. Our goal is turn this data into actionable information at the point of care, enabling better care through mobile devices in hospitals, clinics and homes.”

According to industry experts, demand for connected health technologies is expected to grow rapidly as the industry seeks to better manage costs and improve patient care by facilitating real-time care coordination, increasing patient engagement and enabling information portability.

It is estimated that health care costs exceed $2.3 trillion and are growing annually at a compound rate of 7 percent.  Of these costs, $1.1 trillion is spent managing chronic diseases such as diabetes, congestive heart failure and hypertension.

Gaining Momentum in the Health Care Space

Verizon Connected Healthcare Solutions, the company’s $5 billion health IT practice, comprises hundreds of dedicated health IT experts and a research and development group, aimed at bringing new innovations to market.

To date, the company has issued tens of thousands of credentials to health care professionals to enable secure access and exchange sensitive patient information; developed a medical data exchange that facilitates the sharing of information regardless format; and delivered a cloud-based fraud detection solution that uses predictive modeling to help identify fraud in the payment system before a claim is paid, potentially saving businesses and government agencies billions of dollars. Most fraud prevention today consists of trying to recover money after the claim is paid.

In addition, Verizon previously announced strategic agreements with Duke University to leverage the inherent value of advanced communications technologies and with Health Evolution Partners to encourage innovation and adoption of connected health information technologies.

Verizon’s strategy is to provide a secure, reliable cloud platform with built-in security and compliant features delivered through mobile devices powered by its high-performance 4G LTE and global IP networks. Each layer of the solution will be tailored to meet the needs of today’s disparate ecosystem, including apps and services for independent living; remote care enablement; virtual care; clinician enablement; and payer and vendor enablement.

The company’s portfolio will consist of multiple health offerings for chronic disease management; a Secure Messaging platform for the exchange and retrieval of protected health  information; a proven Fraud Detection system based on predictive analytics; Universal Identity Services for secure credentials to access confidential health information records; and a secure cloud platform to easily manage health IT transactions.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with nearly 108 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

The leading enterprise Real-Time Location System (RTLS) software provider expands its expertise in serving large IDNs and other enterprise healthcare customers

Fargo, ND – April 10, 2012 – Intelligent InSites, Inc., the leading provider of enterprise real-time location systems (RTLS) software helping hospitals improve patient care and increase healthcare efficiency, announced today the appointment of David O’Hara to the Board of Directors of Intelligent InSites. David O’Hara is the Chief Operating Officer for Microsoft Advertising at Microsoft Corporation.

Welcoming David O’Hara to the board, Dr. Raymond Gruby, Chairman of the Board and Chief Medical Officer of Intelligent InSites, stated: “With Dave’s deep experience in building global enterprise software companies that scale quickly, and his understanding of today’s connected software world, he is the perfect fit to help us navigate through a period of rapid growth.”

“I am very excited about working with a very talented and successful team at Intelligent InSites,” said O’HaraHare. “Their passion for innovation and deep understanding of the healthcare environment has established them as a trailblazer in delivering RTLS solutions to hospitals. I am looking forward to assisting them in strengthening their leadership position.”

“Dave O’Hara brings a wealth of capability to our Board of Directors,” said Doug Burgum, President and CEO of Intelligent InSites. “His expertise in building collaborative ecosystems of companies to better serve customer needs aligns completely with our vision:  delivering an enterprise software platform enabling healthcare providers to enhance their existing and future systems with real-time, meaningful information and actionable intelligence.”

Intelligent InSites provides an enterprise RTLS software platform and multiple RTLS applications (including asset management, patient flow, temperature monitoring, and business intelligence), all accessible through a unified user interface and across any RTLS technology (such as Wi-Fi, infrared, ultrasound, ZigBee, active and passive RFID) spanning multiple hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. Intelligent InSites delivers a true enterprise solution that future-proofs RTLS investment while improving patient care and increasing healthcare efficiency.

About David O’Hara

David O’Hara is the Chief Operating Officer for Microsoft Advertising. Microsoft Advertising is the business platform that monetizes the Microsoft Advertising brand, generating over $4 billion in revenue annually. His team is responsible for the operations of the business, data analysis and insights, business development and partnerships as well as collaboration with the field sales force. The team is also engaged in driving decisions on long term strategy and opportunities.

Prior to his role in Microsoft Advertising, O’Hara was the managing director of Corporate Development for the Platform and Services Division (PSD) of Microsoft. PSD includes the Windows and On-line business units. Before that, O’Hara was vice president of Business Development at Microsoft® Business Solutions, a division of Microsoft Corp. that develops Enterprise Resource Planning and Customer Relationship Management solutions. O’Hara was Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions and Vice President for the International Division for Great Plains Software until 2001 when Great Plains was acquired by Microsoft.

Before joining Great Plains, O’Hara was president of ICONtrol Inc., a development partner acquired by Great Plains in 1998. Previous to joining ICONtrol Inc., he served as commissioner of economic development for the State of South Dakota.

O’Hara holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA from the University of South Dakota.

About Intelligent InSites

Intelligent InSites currently helps healthcare organizations in both civilian and Veterans Affairs environments improve care and reduce costs by transforming automatically-collected data into actionable insights and the intelligent automation of operational workflows. Through its interoperable, hardware-independent, healthcare real-time location system (RTLS) software platform, Intelligent InSites gathers data from real-time location, condition sensing, and other systems; then delivers meaningful information to the right person, at the right time, on the right device. Intelligent InSites’ customers gain enterprise-wide visibility and are able to impact continuous process improvements, resulting in remarkable financial and quality of care outcomes. For more information, visit www.IntelligentInSites.com.

PowerReviews CEO Brings Over 20 Years of Executive and Operational Experience in the Cloud Computing Sector

MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)– CareCloud, a leading provider of cloud-based practice management, electronic healthcare record (EHR) and medical billing software and services, today announced that Ken Comée will join its board of directors. The addition of Mr. Comée increases the number of directors on CareCloud’s board to four.

Mr. Comée has more than 20 years of executive management experience in both private and public companies. He is currently the CEO of PowerReviews, the world’s largest social commerce network, which powers customer conversations on over 5,500 websites, including those of such influential companies as Staples, REI and Toys“R”Us.

Prior to assuming the role of CEO at PowerReviews, Comée grew Cast Iron Systems from a start-up venture to a global leader in the cloud integration sector. He led Cast Iron Systems to a strategic acquisition by IBM in 2010, and the company is now a critical piece of IBM’s cloud strategy.

“Ken brings to CareCloud’s board tremendous experience in building and scaling disruptive technology platforms and leading teams to support them. We feel he will play a critical role as we continue to bring the power of the cloud to medical groups of all sizes,” said Albert Santalo, President and CEO of CareCloud. “Specifically, Ken’s experience as an innovator in cloud-based technologies will be valuable to our leadership team as we continue to bring a new class of more flexible and intuitive clinical and revenue cycle services to the market in support of our larger mission: disrupting the status quo in healthcare IT and presenting the industry’s first fully integrated digital ecosystem.”

As CEO of Cast Iron Systems, Comée led a ten-fold increase in revenue and acquired more than 700 new customers. Previously, Comée held executive positions at CollabNet, a software development pioneer in the cloud, and at product lifecycle leader PTC. He has also held several various high-level management positions at Amdahl/Fujitsu in Europe and the U.S.

“I could not be more thrilled to join CareCloud’s Board of Directors and work with the leadership team of a company that I feel has a unique opportunity to change the way healthcare is delivered in this country,” said Comée. “I can think of no industry more ripe for a change in the technologies leveraged than health care. The clear growing union between technology and care delivery is moving at a staggering pace and the power of CareCloud’s platform is proving to be a key enabler to caregivers looking to improve the operational efficiency of their organizations and the quality of care they can provide.”

About CareCloud

CareCloud is a leading provider of cloud-based practice management, electronic health record (EHR) and medical billing software and services for medical groups. The company’s products are connecting providers to one another – and to their patients – through a fully integrated digital healthcare ecosystem that can be accessed on any browser or device.

CareCloud is helping more than 1,200 physicians to increase collections, streamline operations and improve patient care in over 30 states. The company was named a winner of IBM’s SmartCamp Silicon Valley 2010 for its innovative technology and received over $20 million in Series A funding from Intel Capital and Norwest Venture Partners. To learn more about CareCloud, please visit www.carecloud.com.

The record-breaking trend continues for the 2012 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, held in Las Vegas at the Venetian Sands Expo Center from Feb. 20-24.  As of Friday morning, Feb. 24, attendance at HIMSS12 reached 37,032 attendees, surpassing the HIMSS11 attendance figure of 31,500 attendees.

HIMSS12 attendees fill the hallways on their way to the more than 300 education sessions and to the exhibit hall with 1,123 exhibiting companies at the Venetian Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.

Sessions on Stage 1 and Stage 2 of meaningful use, ICD-10, mobile health and mHIMSS, business and clinical analytics, and more kept attendees busy during the week. HIMSS12 also included HIT X.0 and Leading from the Future, two conferences within a conference introduced last year. In addition, Virtual HIMSS12 provided health IT professionals unable to travel to the conference access to the keynote and other educational sessions.

Keynote presentations at the conference included:

Biz Stone
Co-founder, Twitter

Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Terry Moran
NIGHTLINE Anchor

Donna Brazile
Renowned Political Strategist and Commentator Vice Chair of Voter Registration and Participation, Democratic National Committee

Dana Perino
Political Commentator and Former White House Press Secretary

Dan Buettner
Founder of Blue Zones and World Renowned Explorer

Charlene S. Underwood, MBA, FHIMSS, HIMSS Board Chair and Senior Director of Government and Industry Affairs for Siemens Medical Solutions, welcomes attendees to HIMSS in from Feb. 20-24 in Las Vegas.

For more information about HIMSS12, visit www.himssconference.org.

About HIMSS

HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 51 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations are headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. HIMSS represents more than 44,000 individual members, of which more than two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations. HIMSS also includes over 570 corporate members and more than 170 not-for-profit organizations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, research initiatives, and media vehicles designed to promote information and management systems’ contributions to improving the quality, safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. To learn more about HIMSS and to find out how to join us and our members in advancing our cause, please visit our website at www.himss.org.

The eCollaboration Forum is excited to announce the addition of the following to the agenda:

• Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Northeast Business Group on Health, leading a discussion on the role of payers in interoperable health IT infrastructure
• Meg McCabe, Vice President of Consumer Marketing & Product, Aetna
• Sherri Zink, Vice President, Medical Informatics, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee

These newly confirmed speakers will be joining an agenda already packed with thought-leader, including Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health IT, Robert Kolodner, former National Coordinator, John Mattison of Kaiser Permanente, Esther Dyson of EDventure, ePatient Dave deBronkart and others.

First Annual Conference Centered on Strategies for the Future of Collaborative Health Care

Centennial, CO – 15 February 2012 – The Collaborative Health Consortium, formerly known as the Clinical Groupware Collaborative, announced a new round of speakers and the final agenda today for the first-ever eCollaboration Forum, part of HIMSS12 on February 23, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV. HIMSS12, this year’s conference and exhibition from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society being held at the Venetian Sands Expo Center, is expecting record attendees. This eCollaboration Forum marks the first partnership between HIMSS and an outside organization in developing a program for the annual event. “We’ve put together an incredible program around Collaborative Platforms in conjunction with HIMSS,” said Steve Adams, EVP of Collaborative Care and Health Improvement at Alere and Chairman of the Collaborative Health Consortium. “We have an amazing group of people who have committed to this movement, and this Summit, and we are excited to see it come to fruition.”

This year’s eCollaboration Forum explores collaborative platforms as foundations for transformation to accountable care.  Attendees and others can follow hashtag #eCollab12 on Twitter for Forum highlights.

The eCollaboration Forum is excited to announce the addition of the following to the agenda:

• Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Northeast Business Group on Health, leading a discussion on the role of payers in interoperable health IT infrastructure
• Meg McCabe, Vice President of Consumer Marketing & Product, Aetna
• Sherri Zink, Vice President, Medical Informatics, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee

These newly confirmed speakers will be joining an agenda already packed with thought-leader, including Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health IT, Robert Kolodner, former National Coordinator, John Mattison of Kaiser Permanente, Esther Dyson of EDventure, ePatient Dave deBronkart and others.

The Collaborative Health Consortium would also like to thank its sponsors:  Microsoft, Humetrix, ElasticHealth and SureScripts.

Due to limited seating at the forum, the conference will also be broadcasting the sessions in an all-day webinar.  Details and registration can be found on the eCollaboration Forum website.

About Collaborative Health Consortium

The Collaborative Health Consortium, formerly known as the Clinical Groupware Collaborative, is a not-for-profit industry group of passionate individuals and organizations devoted to enabling collaborative care and the businesses, technology and care delivery ecosystems that support collaboration for better health. www.collaborativehc.org

About HIMSS

HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 50 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations are headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. HIMSS represents more than 38,000 individual members, of which more than two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations. HIMSS also includes over 540 corporate members and more than 120 not-for-profit organizations that share their mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, research initiatives, and media vehicles designed to promote information and management systems’ contributions to improving the quality, safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. To learn more about HIMSS and to find out how to join them and their members in advancing their cause, please visit their website at www.himss.org.