SALT LAKE CITY – The kickoff here today of the 21st TEPR conference and exhibition gives C. Peter Waegemann cause for more optimism than he's felt over the 21 years he's worked on the mission to introduce an electronic medical record to the country.

Waegermann is CEO of the Medical Records Institute, which puts on Toward an Electronic Patient Record each year.

He had to be optimistic – and committed – for years as the movement seemed to be no more than inching its way into American consciousness.

This year, though, even more than last year's 20th anniversary conference, TEPR is drawing more people than ever to the Salt Palace Convention Center, Waegemann said, because there has been plenty of action surrounding the EHR buzz, he said. So, today, instead of a slow dance toward Waegemann's 21-year mission, the tempo is up, the pace is quickening. Waegemann has his eye on the prize – an electronic patient record for each person.

Waegemann was to kick off the conference this afternoon at 2 p.m. with a talk about how to make electronic records attractive to physicians.David Sundwall, MD, the executive director of the Utah Department of Health, is slated to follow Waegemann with welcoming remarks for the attendees.

Sundwall, a primary care physician with over two decades of experience in public policy and service, will offer an overview of Utah as a technology center.

Rick Peters, MD, dubbed one of the most experienced experts in the healthcare IT field by industry peers, will talk about what needs to be done to automate healthcare.

"We are at an inflection point and we need to step back and assess not only where we are, but how we got here, and what we need to do in order to finally begin to move forward," Peters said.

2005 TEPR Award finalists 

Finalists for the 2005 TEPR Awards were chosen from more than 100 applications and represent healthcare information system solutions in seven categories.

The TEPR Award winners will be announced at the conference later today in presentation Theater in the exhibit hall.

The finalists are listed alphabetically within their category below: 

Mobile Devices for Use in Healthcare
Allscripts Healthcare Solutions
Midmark Diagnostics Group
PatientKeeper

E-Prescription Management Systems
Allscripts Healthcare Solutions
DrFirst
eClinicalWorks

EHR Systems for Small Practices
eClinicalWorks
Misys Healthcare Systems
Physician Micro Systems (PMSI)

EHR Systems for Medium and Large Practices
Allscripts Healthcare Solutions
eClinicalWorks
Physician Micro Systems (PMSI)

EHR Systems for Hospitals
Cerner
Siemens Medical Solutions

EHR Systems for Medical Transcription
Axolotl Corporation
MedQuist
Spheris

EHR Systems in Pediatrics
These vendors will present their solutions to TEPR judges on Wednesday. The winners will be announced immediately following their presentations.