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AUBURN, Calif. and LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 12 /PRNewswire/ — The Case Management Society of America (CMSA) and TCS Healthcare Technologies (TCS) announced today a partnership to bring a highly functional and user-friendly care management software application, called ACUITY AnyWare, to case managers as a membership benefit of CMSA.
Peter Moran, RN, BC, BSN, MS, CCM, CMSA President, notes “The new application, called ACUITY AnyWare, will support both individual case managers and small groups through a web-enabled application without the need to install expensive software or have technical support to maintain it. It is a way for independents and small groups to transition from paper and easily run reports. In addition, it is the first software that embedded the Case Management Adherence Guidelines (CMAGs) as an integrated tool. CMSA is looking forward to offering this cutting-edge application to CMSA members through a special discounting arrangement with TCS.” CMSA members can license this new application for less than $200 per month.
Cheri Lattimer, RN, BSN, CMSA Executive Director, adds “We are looking forward to introducing ACUITY AnyWare at CMSA’s 18th Annual Conference & Expo in Orlando. TCS’s care management solution fills an obvious void by allowing independent case managers to have access to a dynamic system that tracks and supports patients with chronic conditions who are enrolled in case and disease management programs.” During the CMSA conference next week, attendees will have several opportunities to see a demo of the new application. Online demos are also available at or .
Rob Pock, TCS Founder and CEO further elaborates that “The partnership between TCS and CMSA is a natural fit. With TCS’ three decades of experience with designing and implementing software applications for health plans, care management organizations, and others, the launch of ACUITY AnyWare supports a key element of CMSA’s mission to upgrade the electronic tools available to the entire spectrum of case managers and other clinicians.” In addition to ACUITY AnyWare, TCS will continue to offer its enterprise version as well, called acuity advanced care(TM) (ACUITY v.5.4), which is designed to meet the needs of larger organizations.
Pat Stricker, RN, M.Ed., Vice-President of Clinical and Client Services at TCS, comments that “ACUITY AnyWare will permit independent case managers and others small groups, who have not been able to afford a traditional care management software application, to take advantage of a robust electronic management system that helps automate care management workflows. For example, a number of important resources are integrated into ACUITY AnyWare — including a General health and Wellness Program which is made up of eight assessments and eight care plans that link together patient problems, goals, interventions and outcomes. The assessments automatically generate care plans, based on risk factors identified in the assessment.”
Among other attributes, Pock notes “ACUITY AnyWare also uses a ‘task manager’ that helps clinicians keep track of daily activities and integrates superior browser, navigational and dashboard functionalities that allow users to search, monitor and report on various medical management activities, benchmarks, and outcomes.”
For more information about ACUITY AnyWare, please contact John Sekerak () at (530) 886-1700 ext. 211 or Robert Pruss () at (501) 673-1142.
Case Management Society of America () is an international non- profit 501(c)(6) multi-disciplinary professional association established in 1990. CMSA is dedicated to the support and advancement of the case management profession through educational forums, networking opportunities, legislative advocacy, and establishing standards to advance the profession. The association is based in Little Rock, AR and serves more than 20,000 members/subscribers and 70 affiliate and pending chapters. Since its inception, CMSA has been at the forefront of setting professional standards for the industry, which allows for the highest level of efficiency and integrity, as well as developing national and local leaders who are recognized for their practice and professional excellence. For more information on CMSA, call CMSA at (501) 225-2229 or go to .
TCS Healthcare Technologies () is a leading provider of software and clinical solutions that improve medical management (UM/CM/DM) performance and effectiveness for health plans, insurers, providers, third party administrators, medical management companies, and other health care organizations, who serve both the private and public sectors. For more information about TCS, call (530) 886-1700 ext. 211 or go to .
The Case Management Society of America and TCS Healthcare Technologies

LOS GATOS, Calif., June 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Hifn(TM) , the catalyst behind storage and networking innovation, continued its strong momentum in expanding its reseller channel for its Swarm(TM) secure iSCSI appliances with the announcement of Genesix Inc. as Hifn’s newest channel partner.
(Logo: )
New York-based Genesix is a health care specialist VAR, with an expertise in design and installation of data intensive Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS). Genesix President and CEO Al Vickers said that the Hifn Swarm appliances are a perfect storage solution for a PACS environment, with a feature set that addresses health care IT issues and a design simplicity that fits well with the staffing challenges facing many health care operations.
“Our customers have to deal not only with the huge capacity growth of medical imaging but with HIPAA compliance requirements and managing multiple locations without the staff to go with it. Hifn products are easy to install and maintain, adding tremendous value to the product,” said Vickers. “Hifn also solves the HIPAA compliance challenge with built-in data encryption in hardware versus software, making it simple, automatic and difficult for hackers to break.”
“Health care and medical imaging are key market opportunities that can leverage the versatility of the iSCSI platform and the Genesix-Hifn partnership brings a huge value proposition to health care customers struggling with growing data loads, HIPAA challenges and managing remote sites,” said John Matze, Vice President Business Development at Hifn. “Health care customers have hit the jackpot with this relationship, given the experience and PACS expertise of Genesix and Hifn’s features of the Swarm iSCSI appliances that fit seamlessly within the health care market, all backed by our commitment to supporting and driving the success of our VAR partners.”
Hifn’s supports Genesix and all of its Channel 100 Partner Program members with a broad package of tools and resources to ensure their success in selling Swarm-based iSCSI storage solutions. Channel 100 partner benefits include training webinars, lead generation, product spiffs, joint customer visits with Hifn storage experts, discounted demo units, public relations and telemarketing support, and event and marketing program support based on sales volume. Hifn and Genesix will launch the new reseller partnership with a “Lunch and Learn” event in New York City on Tuesday, June 17 where attendees will learn about the server consolidation, storage virtualization and data encryption capabilities enabled with the Swarm iSCSI appliances from Hifn and how those translate into quantifiable business benefits. They will also have the opportunity to consult with Genesix and Hifn storage experts about their own storage requirements and how iSCSI can address those needs.
About Swarm IP SAN Appliances from Hifn
The Swarm is a series of IP SAN appliances that delivers the benefits of storage networking to small and mid-sized business that want encryption, storage consolidation, centralized management, automatic backup, high availability and seamless integration with the Microsoft operating environment. The Hifn Swarm Series of iSCSI storage appliances provides an ideal IP SAN storage alternative to complex and costly Fibre Channel products with up to 9.75 terabytes of RAID-6 protected storage along with a full suite of storage services, including encryption, replication, point-in-time copy backup used for Windows Volume Shadow copy Service (VSS)-consistent snapshots and multipath I/O for high availability active-active configurations. Swarm IP SAN solutions are available now starting at $8,995. For more information please visit: .
About Hifn
Hifn delivers the key channel and OEM ingredients for 21st century storage and networking environments. Leveraging over a decade of leadership and expertise in the development of purpose-built Applied Services Processors (ASPs), we are a trusted partner to industry leaders for whom infrastructure innovation in storage and networking is critical to success. With the majority of secure networked communications flowing through Hifn technology, the 21st century convergence of storage and networking drives our product roadmap forward. For more information, please visit: .
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, statements regarding the Company’s future financial performance including, without limitation, statements related to Hifn solving the HIPAA compliance challenge with built-in data encryption, health care and medical imaging are key market opportunities that can leverage the versatility of the iSCSI platform, and the Genesix-Hifn partnership brings a huge value proposition to health care customers are all forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described herein include, but are not limited to: dependency on a small number of customers; customer demand and customer ordering patterns; and orders from Hifn’s customers may be below the company’s current expectations. These and other risks are detailed from time to time in Hifn’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Hifn expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Hifn, Inc.

FALLS CHURCH, Va., June 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Jim Traficant, vice president of Harris Corporation’s Healthcare Solutions business, recently addressed leaders of the Florida Agency for health Care Administration (AHCA), and provided a patient’s perspective of healthcare policy. Traficant projected the impact Florida policy makers could have in transforming healthcare by enabling market forces, rewarding efficiency, and promoting a connected care-delivery network. The presentation was part of a health Forum sponsored by Holly Benson, secretary of the Florida AHCA. Approximately 50 members of Secretary Benson’s leadership team attended the forum.
During the presentation, Traficant also related his personal insight into the healthcare system as a two-time liver transplant survivor, as well as the fiscal and moral imperatives for accelerating the healthcare transformation in Florida and the U.S.
“The use of advanced information technology plays a critical role in ensuring immediate access to vital patient information, especially at the point of care,” Traficant told attendees. “As leaders of Florida’s healthcare community, you have a unique opportunity to accelerate the digital transformation of healthcare IT by delivering policies that will promote more efficient and secure medical information exchange that saves lives and reduces costs.”
Prior to his presentation, Traficant met with Secretary Benson to discuss his unique perspective of challenges defining the current healthcare system and how policy and technology can shift the paradigm to patient-centric care. They also discussed the benefits of federal initiatives currently underway such as the new Nationwide health Information Network-Connect (NHIN-C).
Harris announced in March that it was selected by the U.S. Department of health and Human Services to develop and integrate the NHIN-C solution. NHIN-C is part of the larger NHIN initiative and will enable federal healthcare agencies and healthcare providers to more efficiently and securely exchange patient information — improving the quality of care and reducing costs. Harris, along with its teammates Agilex, Inc. and ScenPro, Inc., are developing NHIN-C.
Harris Healthcare Solutions provides enterprise intelligence solutions and services for commercial and government customers, including systems integration, intelligent infrastructure, advanced visualization and display, enterprise digital content management, and IT services solutions. Harris products, systems, and services improve health outcomes by assuring that critical medical information is delivered with security and privacy to the right person, on the right device, at the point of care.
About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has annual revenue of more than $5 billion and 16,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications(R) products, systems, and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at .
Harris Corporation

BALTIMORE, June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Practically all Maryland voters believe that everyone in the state should have access to affordable, quality health care, according to a survey released today by AARP Maryland. In fact, 93 percent of Maryland voters agree with this principle, and this agreement persists across age, gender and party affiliation.
The same survey found that two out of three Maryland voters support allowing slot machines at limited locations around the state. One-third of those who initially said they opposed slot machines indicated they would not oppose them if the money were used to ensure access to quality, affordable health care for all.
“Three out of five Marylanders believe that health care in our state is in crisis or has major problems,” said Joseph DeMattos, Jr., AARP Maryland Senior State Director. “People are struggling — they are worried about health care even if they presently have coverage. This survey shows that the time is now for our elected leaders to take action and create positive change on health care.”
Nearly two out of three survey respondents (63%) say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supported the development of a health care system that provided all Maryland residents access to affordable, quality health care. Three-quarters of voters surveyed agree that everyone from employers to federal and state governments to individuals should contribute to health care costs.
The survey was conducted by random-dial telephone interviews in December 2007 and January 2008. Subjects were self-identified registered Maryland voters 18 and older. The complete results can be viewed on-line at .
AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50 have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates.
Divided We Fail
It’s time we ensure health and long-term financial security for all. That’s why AARP, Business Roundtable, the Service Employees International Union and the National Federation of Independent Businesses are leading Divided We Fail, an initiative to give voice to millions of Americans who are tired of letting Washington gridlock stand in the way of affordable, quality health care and long-term financial security. Go to to learn more.
AARP Maryland

SEATTLE, June 10 /PRNewswire/ — Appature Inc. today announced the launch of onKey, a new software platform designed to provide a complete solution for any company interested in developing Web applications compatible with Microsoft HealthVault, Microsoft’s health platform that provides consumers with innovative ways to take control of their health.
“We’re excited Microsoft continues to invest in the consumer health space,” said Kabir Shahani, CEO of Appature. “As a healthcare-focused technology company, initiatives like HealthVault allow us to develop applications that deliver even greater value to our clients. The onKey platform plays a crucial part in helping medical device, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies accelerate their participation in this space. And Appature is technologically helping move these companies in a direction that will have incredible benefits for consumers and healthcare professionals alike.”
“We are pleased with Appature’s approach to helping partners build robust applications that connect to HealthVault,” said Bert Van Hoof, director of Partner and Developer Program, Microsoft health Solutions Group. “With the launch of their onKey platform, Appature’s approach can now be leveraged by many more health partners, driving further industry collaboration and helping to create a connected healthcare system that puts consumers in control of their personal health information.”
HealthVault is a free Web-based platform designed to put people in control of their health data. It helps them collect, store and share health information with family members and participating healthcare providers, and it provides people with a choice of third-party applications and devices to help them manage things such as fitness, diet and health. HealthVault also provides a privacy- and security-enhanced foundation on which a broad ecosystem of providers — from medical providers and health and wellness device manufacturers to health associations — can build innovative new health and wellness management solutions to help put people in control of their and their family’s health.
About Appature
Appature is a Seattle-based technology provider specializing in Enterprise Marketing Management software and Web application development for medical device, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies. By combining strong healthcare domain experience with top-tier software expertise, Appature is able to provide robust solutions to help marketers effectively create a dialogue with their customers through personalized marketing, and improve marketing ROI.
All products and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Appature Inc.

WAUWATOSA, Wis., June 10 /PRNewswire/ — PointOne Systems, LLC (PointOne) announced today that its health data analytics tool, known as RedBox Technology, will begin providing reports to anyone wanting to analyze individual health data, a dramatic change from the industry’s focus on hospitals, research laboratories and healthcare providers. Historically, tools used to analyze the health of a patient or risk factors for various diseases, including numerous cancers, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and many other common health risks were limited to hospitals, doctors or insurance companies. PointOne’s announcement changes that model.
“Consumers are more sophisticated than ever when it comes to healthcare,” says Dr. Peter J. Tonellato, Ph.D., a Bioinformatics Scientist at Harvard Medical School and Founder and Chairman of PointOne. “The Internet has created a new kind of healthcare consumer and those types of consumers demand targeted information about their own health.” PointOne’s RedBox Technology takes in health information and generates sophisticated but consumer-friendly reports that identify potential health issues. “For example,” Tonellato points out, “it is well understood in the medical and genetics communities that family history is a huge indicator of possible health issues and yet consumers don’t have access to family history assessment tools.” PointOne has such a capability.
This new direction was implemented by Robert Pothier, PointOne’s new President and CEO. Pothier left GE Healthcare last December after nine years and joined PointOne in an attempt to reposition the company. “I saw PointOne with an incredibly valuable technology but an antiquated business model,” Pothier said. “Healthcare consumers want relevant information about their health whether it’s from a doctor visit, lab results, blood donation center, fitness club, weight loss program or the Internet. PointOne makes it possible to get that information from any of those sources.”
For more information on PointOne and its reporting capabilities, visit or contact Laurie Karrels.
About PointOne Systems:
PointOne Systems, LLC is a private company established in 2001 that provides health data analytic reports. PointOne’s RedBox Technology takes electronic health information and provides various reports extending from simple health assessments to comprehensive genetic evaluations. PointOne’s RedBox Technology and reports are available as an Internet-based Web service to professionals, third-party developers and individuals. PointOne is a medical device establishment registered with the FDA since 2006.
Contact:

Laurie Karrels, Communications Manager
PointOne Systems
414-771-1802 ext. 226

PointOne Systems, LLC

WOONSOCKET, R.I. and REDMOND, Wash., June 26 /PRNewswire/ — CVS Caremark and Microsoft Corp. announced plans to collaborate to offer consumer health care solutions to help people manage their health and wellness, and control their health information using Microsoft HealthVault.
Through this collaboration, consumers will be able to download a comprehensive list of prescriptions filled at CVS/pharmacy or through CVS Caremark by mail as well as save copies of their health records, including laboratory tests, from visits to MinuteClinic, the retail-based health clinic subsidiary of CVS Caremark, into their individual HealthVault record. It will also be possible to upload personal health data, such as blood pressure or glucometer readings, from HealthVault into CVS Caremark applications for use by pharmacists or nurse practitioners in providing care. These services are expected to be available to consumers beginning in the fall of 2008.
“We believe that tools such as Microsoft HealthVault should better enable consumers to manage their health care information in an environment that is often fragmented and paper-based,” said Helena Foulkes, Senior Vice President, health Services at CVS Caremark. “Given CVS Caremark’s commitment to facilitating consumer engagement in their health care, we are excited to work with Microsoft to offer consumers HealthVault-connected services.”
Microsoft’s HealthVault platform allows people to collect, store and manage personal health information and share it with physicians, family members and other trusted third parties. Consumers can store information from multiple sources including provider and hospital record systems, pharmacies, home monitoring devices, and patient entries.
“For many people, the process for tracking medications consists of holding onto old prescription medication bottles,” said Peter Neupert, corporate vice president, health Solutions Group, Microsoft Corp. “The solutions CVS Caremark and HealthVault will deliver will make that method a thing of the past and give people the tools they need to better manage their prescriptions.”
About CVS Caremark
CVS Caremark is the largest provider of prescriptions. The Company fills or manages more than 1 billion prescriptions annually. Through its unmatched breadth of service offerings, CVS Caremark is transforming the delivery of health care services in the U.S. The Company is uniquely positioned to effectively manage costs and improve health care outcomes through its 6,300 CVS/pharmacy stores; its pharmacy benefit management, mail order and specialty pharmacy division, Caremark Pharmacy Services; its retail- based health clinic subsidiary, MinuteClinic; and its online pharmacy, CVS.com. General information about CVS Caremark is available through the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website, at , as well as through the pressroom portion of the Company’s website, at .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
CVS Caremark

SAN DIEGO, June 10 /PRNewswire/ — MediKeeper (), a leading provider of enabling technologies for patient safety, adherence, and wellness, is pleased to announce the launch of its new HealthPage application built on the Microsoft HealthVault platform. HealthPage provides a personalized health homepage or “personal health URL” for consumers interested in better information and tools to manage their health and the health of their family.
HealthPage features wellness content and tools from MediKeeper and other best-of-breed vendors personalized to fit the specific health needs and interests of the patient. Through HealthVault, consumers can upload wellness data from partner devices such as blood pressure monitors, glucometers, and pedometers.
“HealthPage provides the most personalized user experience for consumers seeking a better way to manage their health and well being,” MediKeeper President Ryan Tarzy commented. “HealthVault provides individuals an easy way to upload data from devices into their HealthPage account and share important health information with people they trust.”
MediKeeper publicly presented the MediKeeper HealthPage application for the first time at the Microsoft HealthVault Solutions Conference in Seattle on June 9, 2008.
“MediKeeper is pleased to form a strategic relationship with HealthVault and honored to be asked to present our new HealthPage application,” said Tarzy. “We look forward to working with Microsoft towards our common goals of empowering health consumers and improving patient safety and adherence.”
HealthVault is a free Web-based platform designed to put people in control of their health data. It helps them collect, store and share health information with family members and participating healthcare providers, and provides people with a choice of third-party applications to help them manage things such as fitness, diet and health. HealthVault provides a privacy- and security-enhanced foundation on which a broad ecosystem of providers can build innovative new health and wellness management solutions to help put people in control of their and their family’s health.
“We look forward to working with organizations that strive to make managing family health information easier and more convenient, such as MediKeeper,” said Nate McLemore, director of business development, Microsoft health Solutions Group. “Through our cooperative efforts, we will empower individuals to become more savvy healthcare consumers by providing compatible technologies that provide more complete access to their healthcare information.”
Find MediKeeper online at . Find HealthVault online at . All product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
MediKeeper

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., June 10 /PRNewswire/ — Shared Health, Inc., Tennessee’s largest public/private health information exchange (HIE), introduces a major system upgrade, the Shared health Clinical Xchange platform, beginning June 26.
Shared Health, in partnership with industry leaders Allscripts(TM), IBM, Initiate Systems, MedAl, Oracle(R) Corporation and Orion health Systems, is releasing the next generation health Information Xchange which delivers value-based services to healthcare stakeholders. Shared health Clinical Xchange offers health IT solutions that are flexible, innovative and interoperable in all health delivery environments, regardless of the resident health IT vendor.
Clinical Xchange improves the types of clinical information available to providers, helping physician practices operate more efficiently and deliver better overall patient care by merging key clinical data with administrative data to take practices “out of the silo”. It also allows clinicians to interact with the HIE in the context of their existing workflow, which is critical for adoption. For payors and employers, Clinical Xchange supports proactive and preventive health initiatives — such as care management, wellness and early intervention strategies where authorized and appropriate. Consumers will find it easier than ever to keep track of vital medical information with 24/7 access.
“The new Clinical Xchange platform is part of our commitment to continually deliver market-leading, problem-solving solutions that reduce inefficiencies and fragmentation in clinical information exchange,” said Jana Skewes, president and chief executive officer.
Among the new platform features are an automated Problem List and Care Opportunities for clinicians and consumers. Coming in late fall will be Shared health Condition Tracker and Clinical Insight, which will support physician-based practice population analytics and clinical registries.
“Clinical Xchange incorporates tools that are a direct feedback from two years of operational health information exchange experience,” explained Bruce Taffel, M.D., chief medical officer. “Clinical Xchange dramatically improves the types of actionable clinical information available.”
A web-based system, Clinical Xchange incorporates a new, improved Clinical health Record(R) (CHR). The CHR is an electronic health record that aggregates and presents encounter data, medications, lab results, immunizations, allergies and vital signs to clinicians and other caregivers at the point of care. Because it is largely pre-populated, the CHR is one of the easiest ways to obtain a patient’s clinical status.
Shared Health’s system is currently used throughout Tennessee. Nearly two million Tennesseans are enrolled with Shared Health, including state Medicaid enrollees, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee commercial groups and large self-insured employers, and others. By year’s end, Clinical Xchange will reach an additional 500,000 Tennesseans.
About Shared Health
Shared health is transforming health care by offering innovative health information technology solutions that improve quality and lower costs. Shared Health’s web-based applications securely share and connect medical information across a patient’s network of clinicians. We continually strive to be the clinician’s trusted partner for sharing relevant patient information at the point of care, enabling both health care professionals and consumers to improve outcomes. For more information on Shared Health, visit the company’s web site at .
Shared Health, Inc.

OAKLAND, Calif. and REDMOND, Wash., June 9 /PRNewswire/ — Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Corp. announced today that the two companies will pilot health data transfers between Kaiser Permanente’s My health Manager and the Microsoft HealthVault consumer health platform. Pairing two leaders in online health innovation, this pilot program is expected to unveil new strategies for expanding consumer access to online health information and management tools.
The pilot program will extend the functionality of the successful Kaiser Permanente personal health record, My health Manager. Already, My health Manager’s more than 2 million users have convenient and easy online access to clinical information and health management tools, including e-mailing your doctor, online prescription refills and appointment scheduling. Connecting My health Manager to the HealthVault platform will allow users to combine personal health information from Kaiser Permanente and a wide range of health and wellness management applications and devices such as blood pressure monitors.
“Providing new ways to manage their health online is one more way we can engage consumers in their care,” said Anna-Lisa Silvestre, Vice President of Online Services at Kaiser Permanente. “We believe that Microsoft HealthVault will be a valuable supplement to our expanding set of online features.”
“We’re very pleased to work with Kaiser to deliver innovative online health services focused on improving the quality of care and the health and wellness of individuals and families,” said Peter Neupert, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s health Solutions Group. “As the universe of online health applications continues to grow, people will learn how technology can empower them and their trusted providers to make the most informed decisions about their health and care.”
HealthVault is designed to support Kaiser Permanente’s transfer of My health Manager data in adherence with federal standards and includes advanced safeguards to help protect members’ personal information. HealthVault is built on the principle that people should have a copy of their own health information, have control over it and have the ability to privately share information with whomever they choose in a security-enhanced environment. In consultation with consumer privacy experts, Microsoft developed and implemented industry-leading health privacy commitments and stringent privacy principles for health technology providers connecting with HealthVault.
HealthVault automatically imports and exports using standards that are meaningful in the health care industry, such as WC3 eXtensible Markup Language (XML), HL7 Continuity of Care Document (CCD), ASTM Continuity of Care Record (CCR.), Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) and Common Connectivity Device.
A distinction between Kaiser Permanente’s online health tool and others offered by insurers is the range and relevance of the information itself: In addition to containing benefits and eligibility information, My health Manager also is powered by both clinical data entered by physicians, going much deeper than the standard claims-based PHRs on the market. For example, consumers can not only see a record of a test that they had, but also the result of that test and in some cases, direct feedback from their doctors about the result. Since both the patient and physician use the data in My health Manager, consumers are actively using their Kaiser Permanente PHR to communicate with their physician and support their health goals.
Kaiser Permanente’s 156,000 employees will be eligible to participate in the pilot program announced today. Participation in the employee pilot is voluntary and is designed to help ensure that the functionality allows easy access to individual personal health information, as well as enhancing the ability to manage that data. If the pilot is successful, the program will be expanded to include Kaiser Permanente’s more than 8 million members.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America’s leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, group practice program headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 159,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and 13,000 physicians representing all specialties. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit the KP News Center at: .
Kaiser Permanente