Dossia Says Consortium Remains Committed To E-Health ProjectDossia Says Consortium Remains Committed To E-Health Project

A consortium that includes Intel, Wal-Mart, and British Petroleum will forge ahead with plans to provide 2.5 million employees, retirees, and dependents access to personal e-health records, despite its ongoing dispute with the nonprofit initially contracted to build the system.

"The Dossia consortium absolutely remains committed to this project," said Shannon Love, who wears dual hats as spokeswoman for Dossia and Intel, a Dossia founding member.

Earlier this week, an Oregon judge continued an order of silence against the nonprofit Omnimedix, preventing the organization from discussing in public its dispute against Dossia.

Public documents indicate that Dossia was contracted to pay Omnimedix $15 million over three years to build a system that would allow Dossia members' employees and families to access their own personal health records via the Web.

Some Dossia members were expected to begin using the system by mid-2007 -- about now, according to the contract signed by the two parties in December. However, sources say Dossia in April began withholding quarterly payments of $1.25 million to Omnimedix because the Oregon-based organization missed a project milestone in March.

The system hasn't yet gone online. However, Dossia is determined to meet a goal in getting the e-health records systems working within the next six months.

"At this time, the Dossia founders are actively involved in guiding the project toward an end-of-year pilot with an early-adopter group of employees," said Love in an e-mail interview. "Our commitment to the project remains very strong and is increasing as the project moves forward."

The Dossia coalition includes Wal-Mart, Pitney Bowes, Applied Materials, British Petroleum, and Cardinal Health. Love says two additional companies signed on as founding members but haven't publicly announced their participation.

Each of those members has "made a significant financial contribution in order to develop the Dossia infrastructure," said Love.

One of Omnimedix's bones of contention with Dossia was that the coalition has missed a goal -- as stated publicly in recent months by Dossia executives -- of signing at least 10 founding members. According to public documents, each Dossia employer company was to pay $1.5 million toward the effort.

While Love previously denied that Dossia ever set a goal for 10 founding members, she insists funding for the project isn't an issue.

"Simply put," Love said in her e-mail, "we have plenty of money, plenty of founders and remain committed."