Microsoft Health Users Group (Microsoft HUG) and Microsoft Corp. have announced the winners of the 12th annual Microsoft HUG 2009 Innovation Awards. For more than ten years, the honors have been awarded to healthcare organizations, software vendors and systems integrators that have demonstrated significant advancements, innovation and success using Microsoft technology in the healthcare industry — ultimately helping to improve health around the world.

According to a press release today, “With more than 5,000 members and more than 25 corporate supporters, Microsoft HUG is the leading health industry forum for exchanging ideas and sharing Microsoft-based technology solutions. Each year, Microsoft HUG and Microsoft collaborate to produce the Microsoft HUG Innovation Awards, which recognize healthcare organizations and individuals who exhibit the best use of Microsoft products, as well as independent software vendors and systems integrators that develop solutions on Microsoft technology for the healthcare industry.

Award contestants are judged by a panel of industry experts and luminaries and evaluated on the extent to which they provide significant business benefits to healthcare organizations and improve patient care. This year’s winners and finalists were recognized at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2009 Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago on April 6 in the Microsoft booth. ”

The following are the 2009 winners for the Microsoft HUG Innovation Awards:

Winner for Best Use of Clinical Records — Inpatient
Heritage Valley Health System with Healthcare Software Collaborative LLC developed Mobile Clinical Access Portal (M-CAP). M-CAP is a completely mobile clinical portal providing seamless collaboration with clinical desktop applications and real-time, anywhere access to more than three years’ worth of cross-continuum clinical information.

Winner for Best Use of Clinical Records — Ambulatory
Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare with NextGen Healthcare Information Systems Inc. implemented NextGen EHR. NextGen EHR allows providers to securely access comprehensive and up-to-date charts from any location, ensuring that current patient data is available to enable informed decision-making and additional time to see more patients each day.

Winner for Best Use of Information Exchange (HIE) and Interoperability
Northeast Physician Hospital Organization (NEPHO) with MedVentive Inc. developed MedVentive Quality Intervention Module (QIM), a collaborative care platform that resulted in quality above the 90th percentile nationally across diabetic care, adult and pediatric preventive care, women’s health, and cardiovascular disease, while being efficient with utilization and cost of care.

Winner for Best Use of Microsoft HealthVault Applications
American Heart Association Inc. with Get Real Consulting launched Heart360, an online health management tool that sets personal goals for blood pressure, cholesterol and weight, and tracks other heart disease risk factors. All this data is then stored online in the patient’s HealthVault account.

Microsoft Health Users Group is a membership community within the HIMSS Users Group Alliance Program, providing technology leadership and knowledge for improving healthcare delivery and efficiency. The alliance provides HIMSS with targeted industry expertise to help broaden its professional and industry contributions, and provides Microsoft HUG members with the opportunity to reach new markets with educational and professional development programs.

Microsoft HUG is the leading healthcare industry forum for exchanging ideas, promoting learning and sharing solutions for information systems using Microsoft technologies. Microsoft HUG works to provide industry leadership, drive appropriate standards and develop associated requirements in support of healthcare solutions. The diverse membership of Microsoft HUG is united by a shared interest in implementing vendor- and user-developed software based on Microsoft technology to improve quality and efficiency in healthcare. More information can be found on Microsoft HUG’s Web site at http://www.mshug.org/.

Microsoft is committed to improving health around the world through software innovation. Over the past 12 years, Microsoft has steadily increased its investments in health, with a focus on addressing the challenges of health providers, health and social services organizations, payers, consumers and life sciences companies worldwide. Microsoft closely collaborates with a broad ecosystem of partners and develops its own powerful health solutions, such as Amalga and HealthVault. Together, Microsoft and its industry partners are working to advance a vision of unifying health information and making it more readily available, ensuring the best quality of life and affordable care for everyone.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Related Health News:

1. Genencor Given Frost & Sullivan 2009 New Product Innovation Award Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S, is the recipient of the Frost & Sullivan 2009 New Product Innovation Award for Biomass Enzymes. The award was...
2. Bayer ‘Express Your Simple Win Creativity Contest’ Grand Prize Winners Announced Bayer Diabetes Care today announced the three grand prize winners of Bayer’s “Express Your Simple Win Creativity Contest.” Nick Jonas, of the Jonas Brothers, selected...
3. Axsium Group Launches Workforce Management Practice for Healthcare Industry Leading WFM Consulting Firm Debuts New Practice at HIMSS09 Conference April 4 – 8 in Chicago CHICAGO, March 31 /PRNewswire/ — Axsium Group Inc., North...
4. Frost & Sullivan Lauds Carl Zeiss Meditec for Dominating the OCT Market for Ophthalmic Applications MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 31 /PRNewswire/ — Based on its recent analysis of the optical technologies market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Carl Zeiss Meditec with...
5. Cardinal Health Helps Hospitals Improve Safety, Workflow, Cost Containment at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition At next week’s 44th Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in Las Vegas, hospital pharmacy experts from Cardinal...