Passing of Chuck Barlow

A sad note at HIMSS yesterday: word spread of the passing of Chuck Barlow, founder of McAuto's Health Services Division )HSD) in the 70s which ran a pioneering shared system in the 70s and morphed into turnkey minis in the 80s, for thousands of US hospitals. Anyone who worked at McAuto during those halcyon days will remember Chuck's fatherly presence, working long hours to protect his beloved HSD from the vagaries of the giant airplane company parent. Chuck was always available to talk to troops from the field, personally mentored dozens of young managers who later became leaders in the HIS industry, and fiercely proud of his HSD team and products. Chuck's health deteriorated over the years to where he was recently in a nursing home, probably bemoaning the lack of decent IT there... Along with Jim Macaleer of SMS and Walt Huff of HBO, Chuck was a founding father of our HIS industry and will be sorely missed.