It's Wednesday at the HL7WGM, and that means it must be time for ...

It will soon be the morning for recognition of HL7 members who've achieved special standing.  During regular working group meetings, that special standing is for "veterans" of HL7, those with 10 years or more of membership (I get my 10 year badge next year).  I seem to have a tradition of my own at HL7 meetings too, so here we go again.

As you may recall, the last award I gave out was to someone entering retirement.  This next one goes out to someone who is still early in his career.  I'm quite jealous of him, and that's really because of his youth, and his meteoric rise in expertise.  He's quite a number of years younger than I am, but already I can see that his career is blossoming.  When I met him about five years ago, he knew little about CDA, but was clearly already quite an adept developer, and quite eager to learn.  So, I taught him what I knew, and not just about CDA, but also about being a committee chair, and working in the standards space.  What he's absorbed in these years that I've known him is phenomenal.

Outside of the HL7 world (and even inside it), there are few people who can stand toe-to-toe with me in CDA debate and win it.  And there are also relatively few that have written two, let alone more than half a dozen CDA implementation guides.  This next person is one who can, and has.

Without further ado, my next Ad Hoc Harley goes to...

Tone Southerland

of Greenway Medical

for outstanding contributions in Perinatal Care

When I first met Tone, he and his wife were preparing to have their first child.  Tone took a leadership role in developed the Antepartum Summary profile in IHE.  Tone and his wife now have four children, and Tone has written, edited or majorly contributed to a total of ten CDA implementation guides on the topic of Perinatal care over the last five years.  Congratulations Tone, and when I retire, I hope that you'll stick around for another decade or so to keep these folks whipped into shape (but you better stay in shape, because I intend to have a career like Ed Hammond).