Recognition

Now I know you are all expecting a report out on the Interoperability Showcase, and I promise one tomorrow, but today I have other things in mind.

Saturday night I attended the EHR Association annual dinner for the first time at HIMSS (usually I'm completely tied up at the Interoperability Showcase, but this year I wasn't).  This year the EHR Association recognized various of its members for some of their contributions to the association.  As Carl Dvorak, chair of the association put it, it seems a little bit like the high school club giving awards to its members.  I was pleased to be recognized with an award for interoperability along with several other association members for work in interoperability and other areas (more on that in a later post).

It got me to thinking a little bit about what it means to give an award, because of course, I do give one from time to time, and the requirements are pretty obscure for how I award it.  There's no set time line for how this award is given out, no nominations committee, and no unbaised judging.  I admit to it being completely arbitrary and of course, it only comes really with bragging rights and a pretty picture you can print out, unlike the EHRA awards which you can hang on your wall.

If you haven't already guessed it, it's time for another Ad Hoc Harley.  This particular award is going to someone who has been very quietly, but intelligently speaking on a number of interoperability projects going on around our industry.  Back in HITSP days, this person was my first choice for who to represent the Care Management and Health Records committee to the HITSP equivalent of the HL7 Architecture Review Board.  Recently, in the CDA Consolidation work, he's taken quite a bit of data from IHE, HL7 and HITSP specifications and shared it in a way that is remenicent of one of Robin's Eggs.  In a roomful of loud, forceful and often argumentative speakers, this particular person remains calm, cool and collected, and quietly pokes the holes that are needed into our best laid plans, just as quietly offers solutions.

His most recent works are a reflection on his harmonious and well thought out nature, which is a dead givaway if you've been paying attention.  For his efforts, I award the next Ad Hoc Harley to:

This certifies that 

David Tao of Siemens

Has hereby been recognized for outstanding contributions to the forwarding of Healthcare Standardization

Congratulations David, welcome to the blogsphere, and I hope to hear more from you in HL7, IHE and the S&I Framework initiatives.  We need more like you...

P.S.  This is the second time I've given the award to what some might consider a competitor.  If you walk down to the Interoperability Showcase to hall E, you'll find that unlike everywhere else this week, there are only collaborators in this venue.