Future of FreeB

For several months now it has not been clear what the future of the FreeB project would be. Yesterday I spent several hours talking to David Uhlman about a new
approach to medical billing. As a result of this discussion I have
decided to hand over the reigns of FreeB development to him and his new
company, Uversa
For a good few of you, that
is really all you will care to know about this issue. FreeB development
will continue, and its main goals, to be a separate biller useful to
several projects will continue. Some of you will be curious as to why…
so that rather lengthy technical monologue follows.

Continue reading

NYT: Big Tech to use Open Tech for US Healthcare

High-Tech Alliance on Base for a Digital Health Network” by STEVE LOHR
Eight of the nation’s largest technology companies, including I.B.M., Microsoft and Oracle, have agreed to embrace open, nonproprietary technology standards as the software building blocks for a national health information network.
More at the NYT and Slashdot!

PHIELD – Publc Health Integration and Exchange of Lab Data

The PHIELD PROJECT (Public Health Integration & Exchange of Lab Data), an open source project is focused on a cost effective solution to delivering laboratory data of public health significance to the appropriate legal jurisdictions. The PHIELD project implemented a first generation solution by developing an end-to-end model comprised of Open Source software and documentation for filtering and reporting from a local LIS to the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) implementation in Nebraska utilizing the Public Health Information Network (PHIN) architected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Continue reading

PR: Open Source Stem Cell R&D

U.S. BioDefense to Launch Open Source Platform for Rapid Stem Cell Research and Development. Read on for the complete announcement.

City of Industry, CA � January 21, 2005 – U.S. BioDefense, Inc. (OTCBB: UBDF) announced today that it is developing an Open Source Stem Cell Research Platform to leverage the distributed power of open source development. The Open Source Stem Cell Research Platform will allow researchers at Universities, Government Agencies, and Fortune 500 companies to read, distribute, modify and contribute to stem cell and biotechnology research in an efficient and streamlined method. The platform which can be used as an Intranet or online will provide access to bioinformatic tools and serve as a robust utility for the rapid evolution of Stem Cell technology research, development, and commercialization.

Continue reading

Washington Monthly: The Best Care Anywhere

This is an in-depth, eye opening article that discusses the Veterans Administration (VA) healthcare system and its ascent to the highest quality healthcare system, both public and private, available in the US. Prominently featured is the public-domain VistA software system and how integral it is to improving healthcare quality. It contrasts the VA with what is available in the public sector and finding the public sector lacking. Thanks to Francis Gilbert for this link.