Posted on January 16, 2002 at 9:50 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Helmuth F. Orthner, Ph.D., professor and director of health informatics in UAB’s (University of Alabama at Birmingham) School of Health Related Professions has been awarded the 2001 President’s Award from the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). The award was presented at AMIA’s annual symposium in Washington. Medical informatics is the understanding and promotion of effective organization, analysis, management, and use of information in health care.

“This award is given to Dr. Orthner in gratitude and acknowledgement for outstanding intellectual leadership and education vision to the field of medical informatics,” said AMIA president Patricia Brennen, RN, Ph.D.

The President’s Award held particular significance this year, as AMIA presented their 25th annual symposium. The organization was formed by the merger of three other groups — the American Association for Medical Systems and Informatics (AAMSI), the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI), and the Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care (SCAMC). Orthner, a founder of SCAMC, has served in various leadership roles within the organization including President and Member of the Board of Directors of SCAMC, and Founding Member and Member of the Board of Directors of AMIA.

Orthner joined the health informatics program at UAB in 1998. He earned his doctorate in biomedical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in 1973.

AMIA is dedicated to the development and application of medical informatics in the support of patient care, teaching, research, and health care administration. AMIA has more than 3,000 members from 42 countries worldwide. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in health care information technology.