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| News Archive 2005 | ||
| News & Events >> News Archive 2005 | News Archive 2004 | ||
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VistA Software Non-Profits Denounce New Microsoft OS Name
August 1, 2005 Washington, DC - The VistA Software Alliance and WorldVista, non-profit groups that promote and assist healthcare organizations with the Veterans Administration's VistA software, are denouncing Microsoft's choice of the name "Vista" for the new version of the Windows operating system. VistA is the Veterans Administration's (VA) publicly-available healthcare software. For over two decades, VistA has been used on a daily basis by the VA's 193,000 healthcare professionals to provide healthcare to millions of veterans in 163 hospitals, 135 nursing homes, and 850 clinics. The VistA Software Alliance and WorldVistA provide services to hospitals, medical practices, and other healthcare organizations that use VistA. "The confusion created by Microsoft and its choice of the word 'Vista' is an affront to the people who take care of our nation's veterans," said Barbara Boykin, Chairman of the VistA Software Alliance. "The VistA software enables these caring professionals to provide our veterans with some of the best healthcare in the nation. Microsoft is demeaning their passion and dedication to our veterans by expropriating the name Vista." VistA is an example of an electronic medical record system, which allows comprehensive patient information to be stored electronically and used throughout a healthcare facility. Electronic medical records are seen as a key component in the U.S. effort to reduce the number of medical errors and increase the quality of healthcare. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is set to release VistA-Office EHR within a few days. This is a version of VistA specifically tailored for medical practices. VistA-Office EHR will be a low-cost electronic medical record system available to physicians nationwide. "The timing of Microsoft's announcement is most unfortunate," said Maury Pepper, Chairman of WorldVistA. "Microsoft is aware of the VA's use of 'VistA' and yet insists on detracting from the nationwide effort to provide the VistA electronic health record to physicians throughout the country by creating confusion in the IT industry. Our healthcare system has long been in need of a truly affordable electronic medical record, and just as one becomes available, Microsoft has created a huge distraction." VistA and VistA-Office EHR are an important part of a national effort to fully computerize the nation's healthcare system within ten years. Both Boykin and Pepper agree that Microsoft's use of the Vista name could seriously impede this effort. Microsoft's choice of Vista will cause confusion in the emerging VistA marketplace and fear of litigation among vendors who provide VistA and VistA Office HER-related services, given Microsoft's typically aggressive enforcement of its trademarks. Both Boykin and Pepper question whether this is simply poor timing or a deliberate Microsoft business tactic aimed at disrupting CMS's pending announcement. About the VistA Software Alliance The VistA Software Alliance is a non-profit association of companies and individuals whose goal is to promote and facilitate the adoption of the VistA software. For more information, please visit www.VistASoftware.org. About WorldVistA WorldVistA seeks to make healthcare information technology more affordable and available worldwide. In particular, WorldVistA is focused on further developing and supporting the growing global VistA community. For more information, please visit www.WorldVistA.org. « back |