Jim Tate, Meaningful Use Expert

StartUp Health

Less Can Be More

I spent last week in San Francisco attending the DC toVC HIT Startup Showcase and the StartUp Health Roundtable. I made a pilgrimage to the Computer History Museum and humbly paid my respects to the first Pong machine. It had a wooden case and when it was placed in the first bar it broke. Too many quarters were crammed into it. They knew they were on to something.

Silicon Valley is a different place. At the Googleplex I felt I was a stranger in a strange land. I had the feeling that Very Important things were happening and I wanted to stay forever. However, I was struck by the fact that as I walked around the campus everyone avoided eye contact and no one spoke, even when a stranger gave a friendly “hello”. Reminded me of the vibe on the streets of New York City where everyone is scared of the crazies. Maybe I’m one of the crazies now. The food looked good and lifestyle toys were everywhere. The Microsoft campus was much more formal and you could tell there was a definite pecking order. Anyway, back to Less Is More.

Of all the business plans and Next Big Things I saw last week, only one sticks out for me. It used existing technology. It was simple. It was disruptive. It brought health care on a global level to underserved populations. Here it is: http://web.media.mit.edu/~pamplona/NETRA/.

Jim Tate is a nationally recognized expert on the CMS EHR Incentive Program, certified technology and meaningful use and author of The Incentive Roadmap® The Meaningful Use of Certified Technology: Stage 1.