FORT DETRICK, Md., Sept. 1, 2009 – Last month, the Army’s Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) program earned two of the most prestigious government information technology honors— the Government Computer News (GCN) Agency Award and the Federal Computer Week (FCW) Rising Star Award. Both accolades recognize MC4’s role in expanding and supporting the electronic medical recording (EMR) mission on the battlefield, and most recently expanding MC4 use to garrison battalion aid stations. Acknowledgement of Louis Carrion, a longtime MC4 systems administrator and trainer, highlights MC4’s unique role alongside users in the combat zone to provide onsite 24-hour technical support and help implement EMR best practices.

MC4 was one of 10 agencies to earn the 22nd Annual GCN Agency Award for Outstanding Information Technology Achievement in Government. This year's winners were selected from nearly 100 nominations. The MC4 program team will be formally honored at the GCN Awards Gala, October 22, 2009, at the Hilton Washington in Washington, D.C.

At the same event, Carrion will be one of 28 individuals to receive a 2009 Rising Star Award. The award, in its fourth year, honors up-and-coming employees in the public and private sectors who have made an early—and substantive—contribution to the government information technology community. This year’s judges considered 160 nominations. Carrion, who is currently heading a massive EMR software upgrade in Iraq, will be recognized for expanding the MC4 system to the Air Force and for helping Task Force 61 launch a battlefield EMR best practice initiative.

“These honors are shared with the medical forces who remain dedicated to the EMR and medical logistics missions at home and abroad,” said MC4 Product Manager LTC William E. Geesey. “Their commitment and progress using MC4 technology has improved tactical healthcare and provided better decision making. This ongoing effort will significantly impact Service members’ lives for years to come.”

With ten years of experience managing the DoD’s first and most comprehensive battlefield medical recording system, MC4 has enabled the capture of more than 11.5 million electronic patient encounters in the combat zone since 2003. MC4 has also trained 40,000 deployable medical professionals and fielded 30,000 systems to 750 units with medical personnel, to include Stryker Brigades, Army National Guard and Reserves and all active divisional units throughout 14 countries.

MC4 integrates, fields and supports a comprehensive medical information system, enabling lifelong electronic medical records, streamlined medical logistics and enhanced situational awareness for Army tactical forces. The Army’s Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS), Fort Belvoir, Va. overseas the MC4 Product Management Office, headquartered at Fort Detrick, Md.

For more information on MC4, visit www.mc4.army.mil.