The Microsoft Healthcare Innovation Awards are presented annually to the healthcare organization and technology solutions partner-with which it has collaborated-that best demonstrates industry leadership in using technology to achieve innovation excellence in each of the following categories:

• Clinical Records - Inpatient
• Clinical Records - Ambulatory
• HIE and Interoperability
• Microsoft HealthVault Applications

Entries will be judged primarily on the following three criteria:
1. The innovation represents a breakthrough from the industry's historical approaches.
2. The innovation goes beyond incremental improvements on technologies that already exist.
3. The innovation measurably improves significant business and/or clinical processes that positively impact patient care.

The award committee will accept nominations from any healthcare organization worldwide, which has developed and implemented a solution independently or working with a technology solution partner, as long as the solution is based on the latest Microsoft technologies such as BizTalk Server, Windows Server, MOSS 2007, Windows Mobile, SQL Server, Microsoft Surface, Xbox or the Office System 2007 to name a few. The award emphasizes the innovative application of available software and the creation of new solutions.

Benefits to your organization

• Cross-industry recognition for both the healthcare organization and technology solutions partner, as leaders in technology innovation.
• Opportunity as a finalist (three finalists in each category) to present your solution in detail to the panel of judges, which includes influential members of the media and industry analysts.
• Broad awareness for winners and finalists through supporting news release, online content, and media interviews.
• A finalist and/or winner logo that can be leveraged in related marketing materials, conferences, and trade shows.
• Winners and finalists will receive guidance from Microsoft on how to promote themselves.
• Winners will have the option to present a track session at the Fall 2009 Microsoft Health Users Group Tech Forum.
• Winners will be awarded the coveted Microsoft Health Users Group 2009 Innovation Awards Trophy presented at the Microsoft Booth Theater during the HIMSS 2009 conference.

Submission deadline is February 7th at 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time. After this date, all entries and content will be considered final.

For further information and registration, please visit:
http://www.mshug.org/awards/awards.aspx

Related news articles:

• Microsoft's Profile

About MS-HUG
Microsoft Healthcare Users Group is a membership community within the HIMSS Users Group Alliance Program, providing technology leadership and knowledge for improving healthcare delivery and efficiency. The alliance provides HIMSS with targeted industry expertise to help broaden its professional and industry contributions, and MS-HUG members with the opportunity to reach new markets with educational and professional development programs. MS-HUG is the leading healthcare industry forum for exchanging ideas, promoting learning and sharing solutions for information systems using Microsoft technologies. MS-HUG works to provide industry leadership, drive appropriate standards and develop associated requirements in support of healthcare solutions. The diverse membership of MS-HUG is united by a shared interest in implementing vendor- and user-developed software based on Microsoft technology to improve quality and efficiency in healthcare. More information can be found on MS-HUG's Web site at http://www.mshug.org.

About Microsoft in Healthcare and Life Sciences
Microsoft provides standards-based products and technology to help the healthcare and life sciences industries break down information barriers between the disparate IT environments across pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies, physicians and healthcare professionals, provider organizations, government and private-sector employers, health insurers, and consumers. Microsoft's vision for knowledge driven health utilizes the company's market-leading technology to help people in the healthcare provider, payer and life sciences organizations integrate their systems, dramatically enhance collaboration, and increase information sharing and learning - ultimately resulting in the ability to deliver high-quality products and services to patients and consumers worldwide. More information about Microsoft in Healthcare and Life Sciences can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/healthcare.