Microsoft Healthcare Users Group and Microsoft Announce Annual Awards Call for Entries

CHICAGO and REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Healthcare Users Group (MS-HUG) and Microsoft Corp. today announced a call for entries for the MS-HUG Annual Awards. The awards from MS-HUG, a part of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Users Group Alliance Program, recognize innovative providers of healthcare, leading independent software vendors (ISVs) and, for the first time, systems integrators (SIs) using Microsoft(R) technology to advance the delivery of healthcare. Awarded since 1997, the MS-HUG Awards have been given to individuals and organizations responding to the needs of the healthcare industry by developing or using Microsoft-based solutions that provide tangible business benefits and improve patient care.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO ) Healthcare Customer Awards Categories Three finalists will be chosen in each of the following categories: -- Microsoft Clinic of the Year -- Microsoft Health Plan of the Year -- Microsoft Hospital of the Year -- Microsoft Nurse of the Year -- Microsoft Physician of the Year Healthcare Partner Awards Categories Three finalists will be chosen in each of the following categories: -- Acute Care: Clinical or Patient Information Systems -- Administrative and Financial Systems -- Ambulatory Care: Clinical or Patient Information Systems -- Enabling Technologies Awards Schedule

An online entry kit and full details are available on the MS-HUG Web site at http://www.mshug.org/awards/index.asp . Entries must be submitted online by 5 p.m. PST on Friday, Nov. 19, 2004. More information about the awards is available by contacting Monika Skibeness at monika_tcs@msn.com or 425-316-3079.

Solutions from the finalists in each of the partner categories will be demonstrated at the 2005 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, Feb. 13-17, 2005, in Dallas. All finalists will be recognized at the MS-HUG Technology Forum luncheon during the conference. Award winners will be announced during the conference and highlighted on the MS-HUG, HIMSS and Microsoft Web sites.

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 provides 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 HIMSS