Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) has adopted Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft's Azyxxi unified health enterprise platform and suite of applications, designed to integrate clinical information, improve access to data and streamline clinical research.
JHHS, which includes the Johns Hopkins Hospital, will initially use Azyxxi to focus on healthcare performance measures as identified by the Joint Commission's National Hospital Quality Measures.
According to Microsoft, JHHS was attracted to the fact that Azyxxi can bring together its existing infrastructure and applications, rather than requiring a "rip and replace."
The arrangement between the two organizations can best be described as a partnership, as JHHS and Microsoft will work together to identify best practices for the software's implementation and use. To date, the software is in use at MedStar Health's hospitals in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area (where it was developed). Azyxxi is also in the installation phase at New York Presbyterian Hospital. The product is not yet available for wide release, as Microsoft is still selecting partners where it can roll out the software and monitor its use and development with an eye on product improvement, says Steve Shihadeh, general manager, Microsoft Health Solutions Group.
