Audacious In Action

AI Presents to Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:38:00 GMT

The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) invited the AI team to present to its annual regional conference about CRISP, the statewide health information exchange being planned in Maryland.

Audacious Team Member in the News for Community Leadership

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:39:00 GMT

Read about one AI team member's involvement in the establishment of a Latino scholarship at Duke University.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Embraces Web 2.0

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:39:00 GMT

The Federal Government furthers its use of Web 2.0 including blogs, social networks and virtual worlds.

Is the U.S. Lagging Behind Other Countries in Electronic Health Record (EHR) Implementation?

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:47:00 GMT

A report published by HIMSS in August 2008 entitled Electronic Health Records: A Global Perspective indicates that the U.S. has fallen behind “in many distinct and important categories of EHR implementation.” However, taking a step back to consider all the evidence, it seems that funding and centralization, while vital to HIE success, are nonetheless only pieces of an even larger and more complex puzzle.

Drug Data Mining Hampered by Recent New Hampshire Law

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:28:00 GMT

Last month, a federal court of appeals in Boston ruled to uphold a New Hampshire law prohibiting the sale of physician-specific prescription drug data. Read more to find out the implications for US healthcare and the data mining industry.

Health IT: A part of the House Lawmaker's 2009 Health Care Agenda

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:23:00 GMT

As a follow-up to the post about Obama’s health care initiatives, we’ve also taken a look at proposals originating in the legislative branch.

AI is the Fourth-Fastest Growing Private Company in our Region!

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:35:00 GMT

Audacious Inquiry grew at the fourth-fastest rate from 2006 to 2007 among privately-held businesses in the Baltimore area, according to a special report from the Baltimore Business Journal. Its 2007 revenue of $1.4 million was a 150 percent increase year-over-year.

Health Information Technology in the Obama Era

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:50:00 GMT

Audacious Inquiry is thrilled about what looks to be a major focus on health information technology by the Obama-Biden administration.

Understanding CMMI Levels

DavidF@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT

"CMMI" stands for Capability Maturity Model Integration. Simply put, CMMI is a numeric scale used to “rate” the maturity of a software development process or team.

Audacious Inquiry is actively working to incorporate and embrace the CMMI methodology because we believe it will provide our organization with the essential elements to create improvement and effectiveness across projects, divisions, and the entire organization. As Audacious Inquiry continues to grow in size and technical expertise, CMMI will help integrate our separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, and provide guidance for quality processes.

Inventing the Future

DavidF@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:44:00 GMT

Jie Lian, AI's interactive designer and a Maryland Institute College of Art alum, returned to MICA yesterday evening to attend a lecture by the well-known brand expert Brian Collins. Brian is Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of COLLINS: a laboratory for innovative and transformative design, where teams of artists, writers, architects, technologists and strategists collaborate with their clients, as they put it, "to invent the future."

Section 508: Web-based Information & Applications in Federal Agencies

DavidF@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:51:00 GMT

Generally, Section 508 (29 U.S.C. ‘749d) requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities.

As government agencies move more and more toward online and web-based tools, IT government contractors will be required to understand and adhere to these requirements.

Section 1194.22 of the Act specifically refers to “Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications.”

More Primary Care Phsysicans Spurn 3rd Party Payers; Care Coordination Suffers Another Blow

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:12:00 GMT

As noted in the Baltimore Sun, some primary care physicians in Howard County (AI’s home county) are spurning Medicare and other third party payers in favor of private-pay / concierge medicine.

My Personal Testament to Health Information Exchange (HIE)

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:36:00 GMT

The newest member of the AI team, Kristen Bova, shares her own testament to the value of health information exchange...

Why are Physicians Still Slow to Adopt Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)?

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:29:00 GMT

Recent commentary in USA Today explores why doctors are still shying away from adopting important health information technologies (HIT).

Ref: http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/10/why-doctors-sti.html

Bridging the Gap Award

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:50:00 GMT

Audacious Inquiry was honored recently by the Greater Baltimore Committee with a 2008 Bridging the Gap Award.

Related Links:
HCEDA News & Information
Baltimore Business Journal
Daily Record

Social Networking in the Government Space

DavidF@audaciousinquiry.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:20:00 GMT

Social networking is gaining traction in the government space. Yesterday morning, two AI team members attended a panel on this subject hosted by the American Council for Technology.

Honored to be One of the Region's Top 100 MBEs

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:59:00 GMT

AI's Christopher Brandt to be honored with 99 of his peers at an event at UMUC in College Park in November.

AI & Client Projects Highlighted in Baltimore Business Journal

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:06:00 GMT

Today, the Baltimore Business Journal published an article highlighting health information exchange work done for and with key clients by AI consultants!

Limiting Confusion After Patients Leave the ER

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:51:00 GMT

A staggering number of patients leave the ER not knowing how to care for themselves. AI has partnered with a key client to build a health record bank to be managed by patients so they can view their medical information, make informed choices about their care, and better share information with providers and loved ones.

Continued Growth & Kudos to our Summer Interns

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:24:00 GMT

As summer winds to a close and we head full-speed into the busy season of September and October, AI is pleased to relate that we've made two additions to our team. Raj Shah and Kristen Bova have both joined us in the last several weeks.

Winning Keywords & Search Engine Optimization

DavidF@audaciousinquiry.com — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:20:00 GMT

This blog entry touches on various aspects of search engine optimization, the art of raising the profile of a given site in the eyes of the major search engines.

New Strategies for Montizing Internet Ventures

DavidF@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:30:00 GMT

While Americans bought almost $130 billion worth of goods and services from online retailers like Amazon, that figure still comprises only about four percent of the nation's retail sales.

A number of innovators, however, are finding other compelling ways to monetize internet ventures.

Pricing Policy -> Consumption -> Customer Retention

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:19:00 GMT

The link between product demand and pricing magnitude is intuitive and a fundamental tenet of economics. Less intuitive, but also important, is the link between pricing policy, product consumption, and customer retention.

Recognition as a Top Minority-owned Business by the BBJ

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:09:00 GMT

Audacious Inquiry, LLC, a leading management and technology firm, was honored as one of the fifty largest minority own businesses in the Baltimore area, according to a special report from the Baltimore Business Journal. The firm’s 2007 revenues of $1.4 million earned it the 38th spot, the company’s first appearance on the annual list.

It's Official: AI's a Microsoft HealthVault Consultant

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:06:00 GMT

Today, AI officially became a Microsoft HealthVault consultant, one of only eight in the world. Here is the link on MSDN.

Riding the Web 2.0 Groundswell

DavidF@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:30:00 GMT

According to Charlene Yi, in Groundswell, recommended to me and AI by a friend, Wally Boston, the need for more and new ’Web 2.0’ platforms built to serve the older American demographic is questionable. With the wave of Boomer retirement still far from over - and online habits of the segment far from established - how can this be so?

Audacious Inquiry's Software Development and Delivery Process

DavidF@audaciousinquiry.com — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:08:00 GMT

AI's Software Projects Delivery Process is designed to cater to our clients' and our unique needs.

Maryland-wide CRISP initiative puts HIE (and AI) center stage!

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:32:00 GMT

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley announced this week that an AI project has won the support of the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) to plan for state-wide Health Information Exchange. The joint venture among Erickson Retirement Communites, Johns Hopkins Medicine, MedStar Health, and the University of Md. Medical System will be supported with $250,000 from the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) funded through the hospital rate setting system. It will develop recommendations on a broad range of policies, principles, and designs for the secure exchange of patient information across multiple provider settings.

AI Project a PC Magazine Top 10 Site for Baby Boomers

DavidF@audaciousinquiry.com — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:32:00 GMT

PC Magazine's website, www.pcmag.com, has honored an Audacious Inquiry project, the website for Retirement Living TV, as one of its Top 10 Sites for Baby Boomers.

AI a Finalist for Md. Incubator Co. of the Year

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:48:00 GMT

If you're a subscriber to Potomac Techwire or the Baltimore Business Journal, you may have noticed this week an announcement from TEDCO of the 2008 finalists for Incubator Company of the Year. AI is thrilled to make the list.

AI project, FreedomYears.com, launches today

DavidF@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:45:45 GMT

One of AI's most ambitious and exciting projects, the aging-focused web portal www.freedomyears.com, launched for the public today.

AI Achievements Recognized by Howard County Diversity Award

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:39:52 GMT

We're honored and thrilled to have received Howard County (Md)'s recognition this morning at its 14th Annual Committee for Business and Economic Diversity (CBED) Howard County Recognized Five Business Stars at its 14th Annual CBED Diversity Awards Program.

Customer Service as a Strategic Investment?

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:01:47 GMT

MIT professors have done some great research to show that 'net promoter score,' a popular mechanism for evaluating customer satisfaction, is correlated with profitability.

Convergence of Social Networks and Personal Health Records

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:44:47 GMT

This audio report from iHealthBeat hits on a point we've been harping on for several months now. We believe that the power of the social networking idiom and web 2.0 technologies will drive adoption of electronic health resources.

AI's 8(a) & Balto. Business Journal Recognition

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:38:10 GMT

Audacious Inquiry, LLC, a leading management and technology firm, announces two milestones in its rapid growth. In the March 7th issue of the Baltimore Business Journal, Audacious Inquiry was recognized as one of the largest web design firms in the region. Audacious Inquiry has also received 8(a) certification as a minority-owned, disadvantaged business from the U.S. Small Business Administration, which will facilitate its expansion into federal government markets.

Portable Medical Records Will Forever Impact Healthcare

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:26:07 GMT

Undoubtedly, the portability of medical records, enabled by a variety of new technologies and business processes, will significantly impact the healthcare industry in the months and years ahead. We should expect that HIE (Health Information Exchange) efforts will begin to bear fruit, and the organic and acquisitive expansion of health systems, as well as the increasing sophistication of these systems’ information technology infrastructure, will facilitate greater portability and exchange.

Audacious Inquiry Project Wins Grant From VA Health IT Council

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Audacious Inquiry, LLC announced today that it will serve as the integration partner for a new initiative of the Northern Virginia Regional Health Information Organization (NOVARHIO) in Fairfax County.

Audacious Inquiry, LLC Expands Headquarters, Adds Three Senior Technologists

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Audacious Inquiry, LLC, a growing management and technology consulting firm, announced today it has signed a new lease with the Howard county center for Business and Technolgy Development's Neotech Incubator. the company has also announced the addition of three senior technologists to their expanding team

The impact of incubators (like our own Neotech) in Md.

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:15:11 GMT

TEDCO, Maryland's Technology Development Corporation, released a new study of technology incubators on the state economy

Northern Virginia RHIO

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:30:30 GMT

I recently attended a plenary session with an Audacious Inquiry colleague, Edmond Magny, for the NOVA RHIO. The NOVA RHIO group has been formally meeting for the past 18 months discussing approaches to health information exchange in the Northern Virginia area and strategies to address the inherent challenges in this kind of effort. We attended the session to get a better grasp on where in the process the NOVA group is, to understand the current participants and stakeholders at the table and to understand the current funding realities. The session began (as most do) with a 30 minute meet and greet for the attendees. This latest group had grown considerably larger (according to those with prior attendance) and signaled progress in moving the group to action. Toward

New Additions to the A.I. Team!!

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:50:31 GMT

It's been just a few weeks since AI's newest team members arrived, and they've certainly hit the ground running! Mrinal Bhasker, who joins us most recently from EMC, has been engaged in a number of client projects that have technology components. He is also reviewing AI's existing development processes with an eye towards taking our efforts to the next level of professionalism and performance. All this while settling his wife and baby into a new home. Mary Fabro, who was involved in an AI project over the summer, has rejoined the team after completing a consulting engagement at AOL for Microstrategy. She is working in close coordination with Mrinal and AI engagement managers to streamline communication and workflow with our offshore resources. The management of daily deliverables and milestones has dramatically improved the efficiency of our development team. As our pipelines of both new projects and talent l

Welcome to Audacious Inquiry's foray into the blogosphere...

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:02:30 GMT

Welcome to the new home of AI's blogs. The approach we intend to take is two-fold. First, the team will maintain the Audacious In Action blog, which will chronicle life at AI as we grow from a start-up venture to a larger enterprise. Second, our individual team members will be volunteering to blog on topics of interest to them personally.

Audacious Inquiry Announces Nation's First Operational Health Information Exchange

scott@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:00:00 GMT

A collaborative project between Erickson Retirement Communities and St. Agnes Hospital has established instant patient data exchange between their respective Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, marking the first time in the United States that such a system has been developed between a hospital and a continuing care retirement provider. Audacious Inquiry led the integration team.

Audacious Inquiry Opens New Headquarters, Expands Team

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Audacious Inquiry has announced the opening of its headquarters in Howard County's Center for Business and Technology Development. The move coincides with the addition of three experienced professionals to the AI team

Audacious Inquiry Alum Scores in N.C.A.A. Hoops Tournament

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Sophomore guard and Audacious Inquiry alumnus David Rodriguez scored his first collegiate points in Vanderbilt’s 77-44 first round victory over George Washington University in the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament

AI Proposal Earns High Marks from Va. Gov.'s Health IT Council

davidf@audaciousinquiry.com — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:00:00 GMT

A proposal to replicate Audacious Inquiry’s successful integration of patient records systems at Erickson Communities’ Charlestown campus and St. Agnes Hospital placed fifth in Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine’s search for bold new ideas in healthcare information exchange