CHCS II is dead; long live AHLTA!

What’s in a name? Quite alot, apparently. Some excerpts:

From now on, the Composite Health Care System II (CHCS II) is to be called AHLTA. DOD officials said AHLTA stands for Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application, however, the system should simply be known by the acronym.

Winkenwerder said he did not like the CHCS II name because it suggested that the system was not No. 1. AHLTA, which will hold the health records of 9.2 million military personnel, family members and retirees, will be one of the largest and most advanced health information technology systems.

The CHCS II system has been in development since 1998 and despite over $1 billion in costs it has yet to see even 50% deployment. Now with the name changed to 5 letter acronym it’s going to be smooth sailing, though :-).