About HITCh Partners

About HITCh’s Partners

AARP
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS)
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI)
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
Johnson & Johnson
MAXIMUS
Quest Diagnostics, Inc.

AARP

http://www.aarp.org/health/

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over.

AARP is dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all as we age. We lead positive social change and deliver value to members through information, advocacy and service.

Personal computers, mobile communication, DVD players – new technologies are changing the ways people conduct virtually every aspect of their lives. With an aging population creating new challenges and opportunities for societies, many leaders in business, government and non-profits are beginning to focus on how these same life-changing technologies can play a role in transforming and improving the aging experience.

Active in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP celebrates the attitude that age is just a number and life is what you make it.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

http://www.bcbs.com/

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) is made up of 39 independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for nearly 98 million -- one-in-three – Americans. BCBSA is committed to advancing interoperable health information technology to improve the safety, quality, and affordability of healthcare nationwide. Working with providers, the government, and consumers, Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies across the country are spearheading innovations in health information technology. A growing number offer electronic patient health records based primarily on claims information -- prescriptions filled, hospital admissions, doctor visits, and more -- that help consumers and providers make better informed healthcare decisions. Many Blue Plans are collaborating with other stakeholders in their communities to develop state and regional health information exchanges. Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies have also been among the first to establish successful electronic prescribing and medication management programs. E-prescribing saves time for physicians and patients while helping prevent harmful drug events and lapses in necessary care. BCBSA supports continued collaboration by all public and private stakeholders to develop standards that will drive further innovation and adoption of interoperable health information technology.

Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS)

http://www.eds.com/industries/healthcare/

The need to transform healthcare by improving medical care purchase with reducing the cost of delivery is paramount concern of legislative leaders. With an overriding goal of giving patients and legitimate healthcare professionals accurate information to make clinical and economic decisions, there is a national concerted effort to move from paper-based patient records systems to connecting delivery participants through an interoperable electronic health records (EHR) exchange.

EDS brings the right systems capacity and management together with the best commercially available technologies to implement a viable IHR capability. EDS’s experience with large entities – including large commercial employers and federal and state government entities – gives us a unique view into the types of information exchange issues that are inherent in sharing healthcare information. We work with the best-in-class technology partners to build end-to-end solutions for our clients. Through our vast industry expertise, would-class capabilities, expert delivery and global capabilities, we design and implement solutions that are secure, scalable and open standards-based.

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI)

http://www.esri.com/

ESRI designs and develops the world's leading geographic information system (GIS) technology. GIS is an important tool—one that helps shape the world around us. Our confidence in GIS is built on the belief that geography matters. It fundamentally influences and connects our many cultures, societies, and ways of life.

Most health and human service problems facing the world today exist in a geographic context and any analysis must consider that. Hospitals using GIS can report the exact status of every bed, allowing informed decisions about availability in emergencies. GIS allows hospital management to see the physical location of each patient within the healthcare environment and to more efficiently allocate resources and speed up admissions. GIS also provides a common analytical framework in which public health authorities can understand problems and formulate a response, improving incident management and health planning. Understanding issues ranging from medical epidemiology to healthcare access requires a comprehensive understanding of their geography.

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)

http://www.himss.org/ASP/index.asp

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is the healthcare industry's membership organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of healthcare information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded in 1961 with offices in Chicago, Washington D.C., Brussels, and other locations across the United States and Europe. HIMSS represents more than 20,000 individual members and over 300 corporate members that collectively represent organizations employing millions of people. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare public policy and industry practices through its advocacy, educational and professional development initiatives designed to promote information and management systems’ contributions to ensuring quality patient care.

Johnson & Johnson

http://www.jnj.com/

Johnson & Johnson, through its operating companies, is the world's most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products, as well as a provider of related services, for the consumer, pharmaceutical, and medical devices and diagnostics markets. The more than 250 Johnson & Johnson operating companies employ approximately 119,000 men and women in 57 countries and sell products throughout the world. The fundamental objective of Johnson & Johnson is to provide scientifically sound, high quality products and services to help heal, cure disease and improve the quality of life. This is a goal that began with the Company's founding in 1886.

MAXIMUS

http://www.maximus.com/corporate/pages/

The diverse services and products that MAXIMUS offers may be categorized into three groups: Government Program Management and Operations, Consulting, and Systems. Government Program Management and Operations focuses on having a measurable impact on the lives of the citizens we help government serve. The insights of MAXIMUS Consulting, and the technological innovations advanced through Systems, help government gain program efficiencies and pursue improvements that in turn benefit citizens.

MAXIMUS is proud that our 5,500 employees, located in more than 280 offices, devote their energies and careers to government service. Our focus on helping government distinguishes MAXIMUS from our competitors.

Quest Diagnostics, Inc.

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/

http://www.medplus.com/

Quest Diagnostics is the nation’s leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services with more than 35 laboratories and over 2,000 patient service centers across the United States. Each day Quest Diagnostics performs diagnostic testing on more than 500,000 patients – over 140 million service encounters annually. The majority of these order and result transactions are processed via secure electronic exchange, such as our MedPlus Care360 Physician portal, hub and bridge services to EMR vendors, or direct interfaces to customers’ electronic health records or practice management systems. We are an active participant in HIT standards organizations and advanced connectivity projects across the country. With our industry-leading MedPlus applications and our national reach in the provider community, we are on the leading edge of interoperability and have a vital interest in HIT developments at the state and Federal level.

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Updated April 14,2008