The leadership for the new Microsoft/GE joint venture is getting firmly in place and as noted in my last post, I have now transitioned to be a consultant/contractor. I remain focused on the intersection of information technology and health to improve...

Yesterday we announced an exciting new chapter in the Microsoft in Health story . Microsoft and GE Healthcare (GEHC) are forming a joint venture – with equal investment from each ‘parent’ – that will offer advanced IT solutions...

In past blogs, I have frequently discussed the need for the consumer to be a more active participant in the health ecosystem. I passionately believe the citizen/consumer has to be accountable for their many personal health decisions – such as lifestyle...

Today, I had the honor of participating in a Consumer Health IT Summit at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC. It was great to see health IT stakeholders coming together to help drive the industry toward a more patient-centric...

The results of a recent peer-reviewed study conducted by Humana Inc. and Wisconsin Health Information Exchange (WHIE), a long-time Amalga customer , are both exciting and important. They’re exciting because the results begin to prove what many...

This blog was also posted on the Microsoft News Center . Following the Google Health announcement , a number of people have questioned whether Microsoft will continue to develop HealthVault without another vendor like Google to ‘compete’...

Last week I participated in our fourth annual Connected Health Conference , held in Chicago. At this event we get together with hundreds of customers, partners, policy makers, and thought leaders from across the industry to talk about what’s going...

I spent most of this week at HIMSS in Orlando – a conference I’ve attended every year since 2006 – which gave me an opportunity to reflect on the significant changes I’ve seen in the healthcare industry over the last few years...

Almost two years ago on this blog, I issued a call for ‘data liberation’ – emphasizing that the free flow of health data should be the foundation for realizing a future of secure, personalized, data driven medicine. A year later, I discussed...

I think we all would agree that finding cures and improved treatments options for cancer are a moral imperative. They will have a dramatic impact not only for those fighting the disease, but also for the families, friends, healthcare providers, and other...

So…life’s been really busy – which has meant a hiatus from the blog. Moving forward, I’m committed to making this more of a priority and looking forward to writing about a range of health-related topics – not just US healthcare...

We’re just wrapping up our third annual Connected Health Conference , held in downtown Bellevue, WA. It’s where we get together with a few hundred customers, partners, thought leaders from the industry, policy makers -- and talk about the healthcare industry...

For my latest thoughts on the business of health care, particularly the existing health care delivery system and payment framework, please see my contribution to the Harvard Business Review Conversation Starter blog .

Last June, I became a regular contributor to The Washington Post’s “Health Care Rx” blog, which provided space for me and other experts from across the industry to comment on the current state of the health system and offer real-world insights into how...

I learned about the importance of diet and health very early in life as my Dad had his first heart attack when I was 12, and subsequently, my Mom made dramatic changes to our 1960’s diet at home. Since my college years, I’ve always been a bit of a health...

This week's question for the Washington Post Health Care Rx blog was: Last week, President Obama admonished insurance company executives for excessive rate increases. He is taking aim at them again in his speech in Philadelphia right now. How much...

It was just about a year ago at last year’s HIMSS that I posted about the need to “ liberate the data ” within health IT systems – separating data from applications and making it available for reuse in different contexts. What I said then holds true now...

I was asked to contribute to the sequel to the award-winning book, Paper Kills . The New Edition (released just last week) is called Paper Kills 2.0, How Health IT Can Help Save Your Life And Your Money . In the Book, Newt Gingrich, Tom Daschle, and other...

Over a year ago, a dialogue started about the rules surrounding ‘meaningful use’ – and with anything like this, there are always lots of voices, lots of opinions. Given our history, we were in the ‘faction’ of folks focusing on ensuring that consumers...

There are days that I love my job (not every day yet), and last week I had one of those special days. I participated in the Forum for Sustainable Health , an event hosted by Arizona State University’s Biodesign Insitute with a bunch of incredibly smart...

This week's question for the Washington Post Health Care Rx blog was: In a Feb. 2 conference call, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talked about starting small. She indicated she wants the House to vote on elements of health-care reform, such as repeal...

The health reform debate has passed another milestone , but the question I keep getting asked by friends and family is whether the proposed legislation will actually improve our health delivery system. I want to be optimistic, but I’m skeptical that the...

Sometimes it’s fun to peruse year-end lists—best shows, best moments, best songs, best presidential gaffes, best viral videos , and the list goes on…. which gets even longer with the end of decade or the century. In this spirit, ABC News just ran...

This week's question for the Washington Post Health Care Rx blog was: What does the debate over mammography screening teach us about the challenges in moving to evidence-based medicine in a revamped health system? The debate truly highlights...

For my latest thoughts on consumer engagement and its relation to health care reform, please see my contribution to the Harvard Business Review Conversation Starter blog .