Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> February 17, 2000
NEAL L. PATTERSON is Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and
co-founder of Cerner Corporation, a leading provider of clinical and
management information systems and related services to the healthcare
industry. Cerner's mission is to connect the appropriate persons,
knowledge, and resources at the appropriate time and location to achieve
the optimal health outcome. Under Mr. Patterson's leadership, Cerner
continues to set the standard against which all other information
systems are measured. He also spearheads Cerner's efforts to utilize
technological advances, such as the collection of clinical data as a by-
product of the care process, and use of that data to benchmark and
improve care-related and economic outcomes. A respected industry
visionary, Mr. Patterson's unique strategy of using information systems
to connect providers, payors, purchasers, and consumers of health care
enables each to achieve its strategic objectives. Mr. Patterson's, and
Cerner's, vision allows healthcare participants to leverage clinical and
financial data to improve both the efficiency and efficacy of the
healthcare process, and improve the quality of life for patients and
providers alike. He was among the first experts to anticipate the
implications of trends shaping the healthcare industry today, such as
managed care, organizational alliances, and increasing governmental
involvement. Cerner strategically positions its systems and services to
help healthcare organizations increase the quality of care, decrease
costs, improve patient and provider satisfaction, and establish a strong
competitive advantage in the growing market for healthcare information
technology. As more and more healthcare organizations confront
challenging economic circumstances and encompass geographically diverse
facilities, providers, and payors, Cerner's person-centric systems and
services ensure the flow of essential information without regard to
boundaries physical or otherwise. Currently, Mr. Patterson serves as a
trustee of the Midwest Research Institute, and as a member of the
Council of Growing Companies Steering Committee and the Health
Executives Network. In 1991, the accounting and consulting firm Ernst &
Young honored Patterson, along with Cerner President and Chief Operating
Officer Clifford W. Illig, as Entrepreneurs of the Year. Prior to co-
founding Cerner in 1979, Mr. Patterson was a system consultant and
manager with Arthur Andersen & Co. in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a
graduate of Oklahoma State University with a Master's degree in Business
Administration and a Bachelor's degree in Finance. Profile
Mr. Patterson: Cerner is a company that just celebrated its 20th
anniversary in 1999. Cerner's focus over the last 20 years has been
