UNICEF Takes a Home Depot Approach to IT: Computerworld Honors recognizes the latest advances in life-saving and cost saving IT

By Patrick Thibodeau
June 2, 2009

The Brooklyn Health Information Exchange was acknowledged as a 2009 Computerworld Laureate in an article written by Patrick Thibodeau for Computerworld Magazine. This year’s Honorees were commemorated during the 21st Annual Laureates Medal Ceremony & Gala Awards Evening on June 1, 2009. For over two decades, Computerworld Honors has acknowledged those individuals and organizations that have used information technology to benefit society.

Excerpts: The IT projects recognized by the Honors Program judges are wide ranging. Among the contestants recognized at the 2009 annual Computerworld Honors Program, UNICEF's took the top honors in the nonprofit category for developing its "Fly-Away" portable satellite communications system, making it possible to deliver IT services anywhere in the world. Intelligent Hospital Systems earned a leadership award in the health care category for its work on creating a robotic intravenous delivery system.

The Brooklyn Health Information Exchange in New York is working with a number of hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers to create a health information exchange for sharing information. Health care providers now keep patient information mostly on internal systems -- and sometimes not even in an electronic format, said Irene Koch, the exchange's Executive Director. By making it possible to share information so health care providers can keep better track of patients' conditions, "we are going to improve the care by reducing errors, reducing duplication and creating efficiencies."

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