e-MDs CEO to Provide Leadership for the Texas e-Health Alliance

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- e-MDs, an industry leader in the development and implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) and practice management (PM) solutions, announces that Michael Stearns, MD, President and CEO of e-MDs, has agreed to serve as the Board President of the newly formed Texas e-Health Alliance (TeHA).  TeHA is a nonprofit organization founded to bring together a wide array of health information technology (HIT) stakeholders to serve as a resource for policy makers in the State of Texas.  It will facilitate dialogue and networking between HIT experts and leaders from the private sector and local, state and federal governments.

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Joining Dr. Stearns as fellow officers on the TeHA board are Vice-President Cindy Hielscher, Global Public Sector Health Industry Director for Accenture, and Secretary/Treasurer M. Ted Haynes, Vice President for Health Care Delivery for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.  Nora Belcher, a Capitol veteran with extensive experience in health and human services, has been hired as TeHA's Executive Director.

TeHA's rapidly growing membership includes representatives from Accenture, AT&T,  Availity, Axolotl, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Humana, IBM,  LabCorp, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Pfizer, Tanberg, Tech America, TechNet, Texas Hospital Association, Texas Medical Association, US Health Record, and the University of Texas at Austin.  During its first board meeting held on January 14th, TeHA identified several key projects including the formation of an HIT workforce development certificate program with the University of Texas Austin and a joint HIT patient safety initiative with the Texas Medical Association.

"The founding of Texas e-Health Alliance creates a unified voice for the promotion of health information technology.  Our primary goal is to provide thoroughly vetted, stakeholder agnostic recommendations to HIT policy makers in the State of Texas.  We will also promote related HIT initiatives that target improvements in the quality and efficiency of healthcare in a way that is safe, secure, and protected.  One in every twelve Americans live in Texas, making this is a unique opportunity for our member organizations to play a role in healthcare policy decisions," said Dr. Stearns.

Dr. Stearns has 15 years of experience in clinical and academic medicine and over 10 years of experience in the HIT industry.  He played a central role in the development of SNOMED CT and has been active in standards efforts and the development and implementation of electronic health records.

• For additional information about TeHA, please visit www.txeha.org.
• For more information on e-MDs, please visit www.e-mds.com.

e-MDs is a leading developer of health care software solutions headquartered in Austin, Texas.  The company, founded in 1996 by a primary care physician, remains physician and clinical informaticist managed and actively participates in national health information technology and interoperability efforts.  e-MDs Solution Series™, with more than 23,000 users nationwide, is the standard for affordable and integrated EHR and PRACTICE MANAGEMENT software solutions, including clinical, financial and document management modules designed to automate medical practice processes and chart management.  The product is 2008 CCHIT Certified for Ambulatory Care, Cardiovascular Medicine and Child Health. It was designed by physicians, health care information technology experts, and experts in practice management.  The e-MDs Solution Series' comprehensive suite of products facilitates improvements in clinical care, a reduction in medical errors, and optimization of business practices. For more information, please visit www.e-mds.com.

SOURCE e-MDs