texas e-health alliance is a 601 ( c ) ( 6 ) corporation founded in 2009 that brings together the provider , corporate , non-profit and academic health care communities with policymakers in order to create an effective e-health policy for texas .

texas e - health alliance

texas e - health alliance <EOT> disclosure : stephen palmer serves on the board of the texas e - health alliance .

the texas e - health alliance interacts regularly with the texas legislature , providing testimony in hearings and briefing members on e - health issues . the legislature held interim hearings during 2016 , and teha provided testimony :

the summer certificate program has also benefited from major support and collaboration from key players in the e - health industry and nonprofits , including seton family of hospitals , the texas e - health alliance , the tmf health quality institute and the texas medical association .

the texas e - health alliance is the state’s leading advocate , from local communities to the national level , for the use of information technology to improve the health care system for patients .

the texas e - health alliance is the premier entity that leaders in the texas legislature , the governor , and various state agencies refer to on matters related to all aspects ofe - health , from health information exchange to telemedicine to remote monitoring .

due to the amount of health care regulation at the state level , there is a significant opportunity to improve the regulatory environment for e - health technologies and services by engaging in state - level e - health advocacy . in texas , the texas e - health alliance ( teha ) has been doing just that for the last 6 years and has achieved a number of wins for the e - health community . e - health communities in other states have the opportunity to mimic the teha strategy at the state level and achieve similar successes in their own states .

the texas e - health alliance is proud to represent the people and companies that make up the health information technology community in texas . we live here , we do business here , and we’re all pitching in to help as texas recovers from hurricane harvey . below is a list of hurricane resources that are related to e - health services , customers and initiatives .

the belief that patients should have quick and easy access to their medical data was behind a texas e - health alliance push behind a health care privacy bill passed in 2011 meant to protect patient data and to help patients get copies of their electronic records more quickly .

the texas hospital association often publishes white papers on issues affecting texas hospitals and the health care of texans .

teha is also the leading resource on what’s happening in the e - health industry . as “the” source for comprehensive information on state issues affecting health information exchanges , telemedicine , remote monitoring , and other e - health issues , teha puts you in the know and at the table to influence the ever evolving world of e - health .

promoting improved healthcare in texas and nationwide by providing vendor - neutral , objective information and resourcs to educate texas policymakers , political leaders and others regarding the role of e - health in the health care delivery system .

texas health services authority : texas’ state hie is working with local health information exchanges in the affected areas . for more information , see here .

nora belcher , executive director of the texas e - health alliance , has been watching the ehr market long enough to come to some very definitive conclusions : it’s typically not medical records themselves that create problems , but more importantly it’s the systems behind them that are difficult .

before getting much further into the discussion , it is important to make sure that we’re on the same page with respect to terminology . by ‘e - health’ , i mean a wide range of information and telecommunications technologies that can enable and support the delivery of health care services . key examples of e - health under this definition include electronic health records , health information exchange , and telemedicine , and a sound e - health policy landscape is a set of laws and public programs that impose minimal restrictions on the appropriate use of e - health tools and services to enable and support the delivery of care .

in addition to policy planning , teha works with the texas medical association on provider education initiatives and is an active participant in the development of health information exchange planning and implementation with the texas health and human services commission and the texas health services authority .

state health information exchange planning and implementation process . teha is a voting member of the texas health services authority’s collaboration council .

the institute of medicine has recently reported that $ 750 billion dollars is wasted in the health care system on an annual basis . that’s one out of every three dollars spent in the united states on health care . members of the texas e - health alliance are committed to implementing technology that improves the health care system for patients . part of that mission includes sharing industry expertise and experience with policymakers , and spreading the message that investing in health information technology makes good financial sense .

students gain experience in the health information technology learning laboratory at the clinical education center at university medical center brackenridge , a member of the seton family of hospitals . they also engage in a two - week practicum with texas - area e - health companies .

teha members gain access to updates on emerging trends that impact the industry through educational sessions , expert presentations , and informational updates on e - health issues .

1115 medicaid transformation waiver : learn how the transformation waiver is making health care in texas more effective and efficient and why renewal is so important for texas hospitals . learn more

provider education initiatives . teha partners with the texas regional extension centers and the texas medical association to improve provider adoption of digital tools .

provider education initiatives . teha partners with the texas regional extension centers and the texas medical association to improve provider adoption of emr / ehr .

teha membership gain access to updates on emerging trends that impact the industry through educational sessions , expert presentations , a speakers’ bureau , and information updates on e - health issues .

rock health : with $ 3 . 4b raised so far , digital health looking strong in 2018

the university of texas at austin certificate program is the first in the nation among those receiving onc health information technology funding to graduate students .

joey berlin , associate editor of texas medicine , prepared this special supplement to action .

“we are thrilled to have gary join our board , ” stated nora belcher , executive director of teha . “his leadership skills and experience in building ica into a successful health information exchange company will be highly valued as we continue to move forward ensuring that the state of texas remains a leader in developing rational health information technology and e - health policies . texas and tennessee are both nationally recognized as leaders in healthcare and gary’s depth of knowledge in healthcare technology and policy will be a great addition to our board . ”

the students were particularly effective because they had gained skills using six different electronic health record systems donated by industry partners , including allscripts , eclinicalworks , e - mds , inc . , ge healthcare , nextgen healthcare and sage .

teha provides various benefits to members including : advocating on behalf of e - health to the legislature and state agencies , providing timely news and updates to members , and facilitating communications efforts with the media and the general public .

the texas hospital association would like to hear from both its members and from the public for whom texan hospitals and health systems work to keep healthy .

tma physician leaders already are working on behalf of their profession and their patients to improve texas health care system . during the upcoming legislative session , tma councils and committees are locking down and promoting health care policies to ensure texas’ patients have access to affordable and high quality health care . here are tma’s testimonies , comments , and letters to state lawmakers . read more

urltoken the main web portal for the state of texas has a hurricane resource page at urltoken .

texas medicaid in perspective : texas medicaid , operated in partnership with the federal government , serves primarily low - income pregnant women and children but also individuals with disabilities and older adults . learn more

jenny currently serves as corporate director , ehealth , for the franciscan missionaries of our lady health system , where she is responsible for the development and implementation of a system - wide e - health and e - business strategy . jenny is also the immediate past chair for the louisiana taskforce on telehealth access . jenny received her bachelor of science degree in information systems and decision sciences from louisiana state university , and her masters degree in information systems with a secondary in accounting from middle tennessee state university .

health information technology program receives $ 2 . 7 million in federal funding , graduates first class of students this summer | ut news | the university of texas at austin

the university of texas at austin ' s new health information technology program has received $ 2 . 7 million as a part of the professional university resources and education for health information technology ( pure hit ) consortium project supported by a grant from the u . s . department of health and human services office of the national coordinator ( onc ) for health information technology .

texas state university is the lead institution for the pure hit consortium and the university of texas school of biomedical informatics is also a partner . total funding for the consortium is $ 5 . 4 million , the largest award in the nation funded for university - based education in health information technology .

digital health solutions are being used across texas as part of the response to hurricane harvey . if you have a story you’d like added to this list , email it to info @ urltoken

expanding telemedicine access . teha works with telemedicine stakeholders and the texas medical board to ensure that telemedicine services are available to patients in need with a focus on those areas that have provider shortages . teha also sits on the governing board of the texla telehealth resource center at texas tech , which is devoted to promoting telehealth in texas and louisiana .

with the passage of the hitech act as part of arra back in 2009 , and the more recent passage of the medicare and chip reauthorization act ( macra ) in 2015 , and just last week of the 21 st century cures act , it can seem like most of the action with respect to e - health policy occurs at the federal level . in a narrow sense , that may be true , but considered more broadly , it is clear that state - level policy - making has a critical and often under - appreciated role to play in enabling a sound e - health policy landscape .

if you’re interested in learning more about teha or becoming a member , please contact nora belcher , the executive director of teha , at nora @ urltoken . if you need assistance developing a plan for state - level e - health advocacy , please contact stephen palmer at stephen . palmer @ urltoken .

medicaid / chip health information exchange at the texas hhsc . teha represents industry as a member of the hhsc advisory committee for this hie project . over 3 million clients served by hhsc will be affected .

the summer certificate program is nine weeks of intensive study training students in fundamental concepts in health information technology , project management and workflow redesign , operational models of health care practice and skill development in the use of various electronic health record systems .

teha promotes awareness and understanding that commercial health information technology delivers measureable economic value .

without continued chip funding , congress risks adding to the uninsured in texas – already the largest number in the nation — and undermining the long - term health and wellness of our nation’s most v . . .

tracie ingram is the rural health officer and state office of rural health program manager for the bureau of primary care and rural health . she has held that position since 2009 and has worked over 27 years in state government . tracie’s experience includes healthcare safety net development , disability services , and community development . she is a specialist in rural health matters , rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers and serves as a primary technical assistance person between the federal department of health and human services and rural louisiana providers . tracie has served on the louisiana telehealth task force for 4 years .

the monetary gap between the house and senate versions of the state budget isn ' t overly large — a separation of about $ 400 million in all funds and $ 2 billion in general revenue . but both plans feature provisions concerning to medicine . so tma highlighted " medicine ' s recommendations for crafting a biennial budget that will promote a healthier texas " in a letter last week to conference committee members , cowritten with the texas pediatric society , texas academy of family physicians , and several other texas physician organizations .

a pilot project in north texas has been focusing on using health information technology to lower chronic heart failure ( chf ) readmission rates . at most hospitals , chf is the no . 1 reason for hospital readmissions .

occupational licensing : texas governor greg abbott has temporarily suspended all necessary statutes and rules to allow licensed health - care providers employed by a hospital and in good standing in another state to practice in texas to assist with disaster response operations . this suspension is in effect until terminated by the office of the governor or until the hurricane harvey disaster declaration is lifted or expires .

deborah has been involved with patient care via telehealth for eight years . currently , deborah is the facility telehealth manager for the thomas e . creek va healthcare system in amarillo , tx . deborah oversees three modalities of telehealth at the va – home telehealth , clinical video telehealth , and store and forward telehealth . previously deborah was employed by texas panhandle centers ( mhmr ) as the telemedicine nurse for rural patients in a 26 county catchment area . deborah holds a bachelor of science degree in nursing from west texas a & m ; university

the texas association of business , a lobbying group that represents the state’s employers , is joining the pro - telemedicine camp : the group just released two surveys ( one of its members , one of the voting public ) totaling more than 750 people that serve as a support to legislation that would allow telemedicine to operate more freely in the state . “texas health care consumers are calling for new . . .

but the biggest problem many see in the industry has been a lack of clear standards and a lack of portability for medical data , sometimes held up for competitive reasons , other times simply a symptom of technical incompatibilities . cerner and epic have made efforts to standardize their ehrs with commonwell health alliance and carequality , which over the last few years have begun to tackle the huge problem of creating open , interoperable platforms that don’t sacrifice privacy and security with lots of work left to do .

a not - for - profit , integrated health system with over 1 , 500 physicians , a medical center , seven regional community hospitals , 140 different service sites , a large multispecialty medical group and a nationally recognized health plan used a health information exchange platform to improve the delivery of lab reports and results .

providers and their staff rely on information available in the electronic medical record ( emr ) system to track and assess the patients’ health and care . modern emrs are connected and have the ability to obtain available patients’ health information from other providers . but even with the advancement in health information exchange capabilities , the information available remains somewhat limited . having access to claims based health information can enhance the information available to providers .

health information technology program receives $ 2 . 7 million in federal funding , graduates first class of students this summer

teha is open to all stakeholders and is constantly seeking to add to the diversity and richness of the health information technology community .

getting acclimated to the regulatory and reimbursement environment for health information technology , especially if you’re new to doing business in texas , can be a real challenge . here at teha , we’ve put together a list of resources to help get you oriented . if you still have questions , reach out to us through our contact page .

a forum - and a podium - for our members to contribute their individual voice to the broader conversation about hit and health care .

the letter vigorously opposed the senate ' s proposed $ 410 million general - revenue reduction to medicaid , as well as the house ' s $ 450 million general revenue cut from health and human services commission contracts , which would heavily affect medicaid managed care and , hence , physician fees . among other requests , it also urged strengthening of the state ' s public health defense and mental health systems .

in the state of texas , a major piece of telemedicine legislation is sitting on governor greg abbott’s desk . known as senate bill 1107 and house bill 2697 , the bill abolishes the requirement that patient - physician relationships be established with an in - person visit before telemedicine can be used . ( update : as expected , abbott signed the bill on saturday . ) texas is the final state of 50 to abolish . . .

teha is a connecting point for health information technology stakeholders to come together and share ideas , gain insights , develop partnerships , and collaborate on solutions .

in addition to its battle to preserve public health funding in the state budget , tma maintained its push for its foremost public health priorities — in some cases , in the face of staunch opposition . unfortunately , some of tma ' s priority measures didn ' t survive last week ' s house deadlines :

beginning in 2006 and continuing through 2009 , the health it industry ramped up , establishing major players in the effort to bring traditional health records to the digital age . the u . s . government’s investment in the space catapulted the industry into a higher gear , speeding adoption of large and complex systems significantly .

editor’s note : in upcoming issues of texas hospitals , we examine the current state of emr implementation as well as what industry experts believe the future of these platforms will look like . this is the first in a series exploring leadership - level concerns as we examine how the last 10 years have played out and why the rollout of digital health records has been so tumultuous , costly and inefficient .

mari robinson recently joined university of texas medical branch as the director of telehealth . in that role , she is assisting with the roll out of the virtual health network , a project to link all ut systems medical campuses to allow for the shared provision of telemedicine throughout the state . prior to joining utmb , she was executive director for the texas medical board , a role in which she oversaw the agency in general , as well as in particular the legal and administrative issues within the agency , to include a staff over 200 , and a budget of over 22 million dollars . before that , she worked for a short time in private practice in the area of civil litigation as well as for the attorney general’s office . she has a law degree from the university of texas school of law , and has previously served as an adjunct instructor in the school’s advocacy program .

membership is open to companies working in health it , as well as provider organizations , nonprofits , and other stakeholder groups . we invite you to join the over 70 organizations that are defining the path forward , for our members and customers across the state of texas , through collaboration and advocacy . we welcome your participation . for more information on becoming a member , go to our member signup page .

to support disaster recovery efforts , healthcare ready , an organization of private health care stakeholders and government response entities , is coordinating with local and federal agencies to ensure that medical gaps in the areas impacted by hurricane harvey are addressed . healthcare ready’s rx open map has been turned on and will provide pharmacy status information for texas and louisiana . sign up for notifications to stay current on their activities here .

by using telemedicine , emergency psychiatrists are always available to this large rural texas region , and response times are typically shorter than emergency programs with onsite psychiatrists . telepsychiatry is a viable solution to many locales around the country that face shortages in psychiatrists .

hospital financing overview : this document is intended to provide a high - level overview of the hospital financing system in texas and the challenges that exist – challenges that threaten hospitals’ continued ability to provide the highest quality care for all texans . learn more

house calls , yoga classes , and community networks are among the value - based innovations making medicaid more patient - centered and more penny - wise . plus . . . recent complaints suggest threats to texas ' ban on corporate practice . read the latest issue

on the maintenance of certification ( moc ) front , tma is hoping senate bill 1148 by sen . dawn buckingham , md ( r - lakeway ) , will soon make similar progress . sb 1148 would prohibit hospitals and health plans from discriminating against physicians based solely on moc and would also bar the texas medical board ( tmb ) from requiring moc for licensure or license renewal . rep . greg bonnen , md ( r - friendswood ) is sponsoring the bill , which was heard in the house public health committee on may 9 . a substitute for the bill is expected to move forward soon .

dr . hall - barrow is the vice president , virtual health and innovation for children’s health , dallas , tx . children’s health is one of the leading pediatric health systems in the country and is utilizing technology to reach children wherever they may be located . since 1997 , dr . hall - barrow has provided leadership in healthcare transformation which has included corporate health , chronic diseases management and telemedicine . she has served as a national and international expert in the field of telemedicine including but not limited to pediatrics , neurology , emergent delivery methods and healthcare mobility . dr . hall - barrow is the immediate past chair of the american telemedicine association pediatric special interest group . in this role , she continues to provide leadership to both new and existing telehealth programs through education , research and service . she has provided guidance on legislation , outreach and collaboration with national organizations including the american academy of pediatrics . she led the first state - wide tele - stroke program for arkansas and initiated the first state - wide image repository and currently oversees the largest school telemedicine program in the country . dr . hall - barrow has published her research in peer reviewed journals , presented nationally and internationally and most recently named one of the most powerful women in health care it by health data management . she holds a doctorate in higher education administration , master’s in kinesiology and bachelors in health education .

students are given opportunities to enhance their professional communication and career development skills . graduates of the program are awarded a certificate as a " health information manager and exchange specialist . "

with this system , the physician can see similar information a pharmacist sees when submitting a prescription to the health plan for coverage verification . delivering this vital information directly within the physician’s workflow before the prescription is submitted can be a catalyst to dramatically improve adherence , enabling the physician to identify and address prescription - fill barriers that may hinder pick up at the pharmacy ( e . g . product not covered , prior authorization required ) . in addition , the pharmacy receives direct benefit as they do not have to step out of work flow to address these issues that have been handled upstream before the patient arrives at the pharmacy . the result bridges a significant gap in patient care .

2017 texas hospitals’ policy priorities : hospitals also are required by federal law to provide , at a minimum , a medical screening to anyone who seeks it and to provide stabilization and treatment services for an emergency medical condition , regardless of a patient’s ability to pay . learn more

the health passport is a patient - centered , internet - based , health record system that a health plan in the south - central region of the united states began using in early 2008 . it makes a foster child’s information available to authorized physicians and other stakeholders involved in the child’s care . while the data stored in the passport do not encompass all information included in a complete medical record , it does contain information on patient demographics , physician visits for which claims have been submitted , allergies , lab test results , immunizations and filled prescriptions .

security , however , has been the primary deciding factor for opting out of electronic health records . the practice’s website has been hacked repeatedly , but its sensitive paper records have not .

the 2009 american reinvestment and recovery act , also known as the 2009 stimulus package , created the “meaningful use” standard for health care records , but also planted the problematic seeds that continue to plague implementation .

for example , students in their practicum this summer at the gulf coast regional extension center in houston were deployed by dr . kim dunn to a local nonprofit clinic called shalom that relied completely on paper health records . the students were given one day to overhaul shalom ' s system for monitoring patients with diabetes . they created a new database system for the clinic to add patients and track their health over time .

a large state health information exchange selected a consulting firm to perform a review of all existing state and federal standards , as well as industry developed standards , for healthcare information technology . this landscape review met a critical need for the state’s planners : to identify the relevant architecture , data , exchange , and security standards , models and profiles that support the secure , interoperable exchange of health information among unaffiliated organizations .

health it certificate students participate in a mock clinic in the learning laboratory at the clinical education center at university medical center brackenridge . from left to right : sean el haj , sachin chopra and dustin murders .

workforce plan development to support provider transition to meaningful use . teha is actively engaged in workforce issues in conjunction with other stakeholders such as universities , community colleges , and trade associations . as a result of our work , texas has a coordinated state hit workforce planning process to ensure we have the right workforce for the future .

in addition , meaningful use standards require hospitals to prove that 5 % of their patients engage with their given health portals . with many health portals , the lack of engaging content does not foster a user experience that keeps users coming back . automated delivery of patient - centric content through a technology partner , written at an appropriate level , reduces the administrative burden on providers while helping them to meet required standards for patient engagement .

silverberg believes digital records shift power to insurance companies and the government and don’t offer enough benefits to justify their cost , at least for a practice such as his . texas fertility clinic has tested out systems geared toward infertility practices and silverberg says they were all lacking . and it’s not , he insists , because he’s a luddite .

" a groundbreaking transformation is occurring in the delivery of health care in the united states , " says field . " the college of natural sciences and the school of biological sciences are rapidly responding to this need . "

teha is a bipartisan , nonprofit organization committed to being our state’s leading advocate , from local communities to the national level , for the use of information technology to improve the health care system for patients . we are :

the latest legislative effort to establish telemedicine guidelines in texas may finally be what everyone has been waiting for . senator charles schwertner submitted a bill this week created out of months of negotiations between various medical boards , regulatory agencies and industry groups , and it contains a compromise that may finally bring an end to the longtime telemedicine standoff in the . . .

among the problems that emerged after the 2009 - 2011 boom in new ehr software were competing platforms that could not transfer complete medical information with each other , leaky security and tough - to - use software that caused health professionals to spend too much time staring at screens and training instead of treating patients . the wall street journal reported the university of texas md anderson cancer center , for example , cut about 5 percent of its workforce and attributed the decision to expenses caused by implementing an ehr rollout from madison , wisconsin - based epic systems corp , another leading company in the space .

a provider in north texas was seeing a 64 year old female patient , with primary biliary cirrhosis and concurrent alcohol abuse . she was not compliant with office follow up for two years and presented to the office on 12 / 2 / 09 with her daughter manifesting jaundice and confusion consistent with mild hepatic encephalopathy . the patient’s confused mental status prevented a reliable history and the daughter was unaware of medications or pertinent medical history .

installation and deployment of a fully integrated electronic medical records system and a practice management system has had a number of positive effects on a central texas family medical practice . the system provides the practice with electronic charge capture at the point of care which , when combined with integration to a claims clearinghouse , has reduced collection days ( the time from date of service to receipt of funds ) by more than 70 % , from 72 to 20 days .

" our first graduates are really impressive , " says dr . leanne field , director of the program . " they are entering a field that is rapidly growing and will only continue to gain importance as we move toward electronic health records across the country . the industry demand is very high . "

health and human services : hhs has applied for waivers from certain conditions on benefits and for extended benefits for harvey’s victims who need help . hhs is also working with the federal government to get approval to issue disaster snap food benefits and emergency snap benefits for people in counties with a federal disaster declaration .

costs were reduced or saved as a result of the information being available at the time of visit with her gastroenterologist . the diagnostic tests that would have been potentially ordered and the costs associated are $ 15 , 191 at the medicare fee schedule for tarrant county , texas in 2010 and the commercial insurance reimbursement ( assumed at 140 % of medicare ) within the community was $ 24 , 086 . since the needed clinical information was available via the hie these expenses were not incurred .

if we are to save critical access hospitals in texas for those who desperately need them , we must do better at supporting those who keep people out of the hospital with telemedicine policies that do not handcuff contracted physicians . to be clear , i would be delighted if the payers would pay a covered service delivered via telemedicine with parity , but i would be satisfied if payers simply allowed physicians to explore telemedicine options without risking their contract and negatively impacting their entire panel of patients .

not only does such a system not exist in 2017 , but some in the health industry think it’s a bad idea entirely . some question whether a trove of information such as this wouldn’t be sure to draw cybercriminals and whether its benefits outweigh costs and disruptions for physicians , hospitals , it departments and even patients .

a large integrated delivery system has been able to show that their patients with chronic conditions can manage their health and avoid hospitalization by using telehealth equipment in their homes . given their rapidly aging patient base , the system has chosen to prioritize working with patients to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes , hypertension and chronic heart failure .

zane burke , president of kansas city - based cerner corp . , which leads the electronic health records space with annual revenue in the billions , says that while the stimulus package was well - intentioned , and created a medicaid - and medicare - incentivized boom in the market from which cerner benefited , it also had unintended effects .

earlier this month , at the final first tuesdays at the capitol event of the 2017 legislative session , tma lobbyist darren whitehurst told physicians he could see the light at the end of the tunnel , but that he ' d have to wait until session was over to say " whether it ' s a train or not . " whether it turns out to be a train or a shining , promising new destination for texas medicine , that mysterious light is now even closer as just two weeks remain until the session adjourns .

this approach has been integrated into a large healthcare system within the state of texas . patients referred to the quitline are proactively contacted and enrolled in free tobacco cessation counseling . nicotine replacement therapy is also available to qualified patients . the project involves an ongoing , collaborative effort with a healthcare system and its ehr vendor to train providers on the proper implementation of an ehr version of the ask - advise - refer method . project outcomes , including referrals to quitline , were monitored by the ehr vendor and compared to state - level quitline enrollment reports .

in rural east texas , a comprehensive psychiatric emergency service is providing 100 % of its psychiatric care via telemedicine . within 15 minutes of arrival at the provider site , a patient is assessed by a registered nurse and a licensed counselor or social worker to determine appropriateness for admissions . the patient is scheduled to see the psychiatrist within 30 minutes via videoconferencing regardless of the hour of day or day of the week . the psychiatrist is also available by phone within 5 minutes . these are maximum response times , and the actual response is often much faster .

in 2013 , dr . kaylen silverberg wrote a blog post on the texas fertility clinic’s website titled , “why doesn’t tfc use electronic medical records ? ” in the post , he listed costs , waste in electronic records that end up printed out on paper anyway , lack of security and an adverse impact on the patient - doctor relationship as factors for opting out entirely from ehrs . more specifically , he says , the systems typically built to handle ehrs are meant for mainstream practices , not for a fertility practice with specialized needs and an even greater need for privacy .

" the situation in the field right now is really poor , " says daniel fritz , one of the summer program graduates who interned with dunn . " these health clinics really need major changes , but if you really sit down and think about the problem you can come up with a solution . we started that day with nothing and came away with something great . "

a large state medicaid program was directed by their legislature to develop a claims based electronic health record system , which is available to medicaid providers today . providers can access the information online or download it for offline use or for importing into their own emrs . the information available in the system is used in parallel to information available in the providers emrs and offers the following advantages :

tha is soliciting donations for their tha hospital employee assistance fund , which was established to provide financial assistance to employees of hospitals located in one of the fema - designated disaster areas who experienced significant property loss during hurricane or tropical storm harvey or the ensuing floods . by creating a centralized fund focused specifically on the needs of texas hospital employees , tha will ensure that donations go where they are needed most . in the coming days , tha will share programmatic details as well as materials hospitals can share with employees . in the meantime , donations can be made at tha’s website here .

the program monitors chf patients remotely for 90 days after their hospital discharge . patients are equipped with tools to help identify potential complications that can result in readmissions . they are given vital - sign monitors , tablet devices and applications that link the data to the patients’ electronic health records ( ehr ) . the wireless devices include a pulse oximeter , blood pressure cuff , and weight scale .

to accommodate the multiple care locations and diverse levels of technology maturity that exist across the health system , the system leveraged hie technology using the same data feed to provide information via the web and via auto - print to paper - based physician offices – while offering discrete data integration with a myriad of ehrs to providers who were farther along the adoption curve and had successfully automated their practice and clinical workflow .

the market for electronic medical records ( emrs ) and electronic health records ( ehrs ) is currently about $ 28 billion with more than 1 , 000 companies creating software and systems to manage them . over the last 10 years , the efforts to make digital records happen has mirrored , and in many ways lagged behind , the technological revolution that has put smart phones in every pocket and the internet of things in our homes .

tma is also tackling the corporate practice of medicine with its support of senate bill 833 by sen . bryan hughes ( r - mineola ) , which provides protections for physicians who report that their corporate employer is interfering in the practice of medicine . currently , tmb collects information on these nonprofit health corporations but does not investigate allegations of corporate interference . the legislation is sponsored by rep . morgan meyer ( r - dallas ) .

the project involved using technology to obtain data from the home such as blood pressure and blood glucose , along with other patient information , and then merging that data into their electronic medical records system . this allows the patient’s health care team to monitor , anticipate and prevent avoidable problems . a recent study of the project , looking at health outcomes from 17 , 025 home telehealth patients , found a 25 percent reduction in the average number of days hospitalized and a 19 percent reduction in hospitalizations for patients using home telehealth . the data also showed that for some patients the cost of telehealth services in their homes averaged $ 1 , 600 a year – much lower than in - home clinician care costs . in addition to cost savings , this type of partnership between patients and their medical team can delay the need for institutional care and help maintain independence for an extended time .

a health information exchange ( hie ) provided a wealth of clinical information at the time and place of service allowing for a more accurate assessment of the patient’s medical status during the office visit and prevented the expense of duplicate diagnostic and imaging studies . further , the available laboratory studies available provided a baseline for comparison of subsequent studies . from the medication list it was determined that doxepin was a likely contributor to the patient’s progressive encephalopathy and it was discontinued .

healthcare providers and delivery systems are ideal intervention sites for conducting the recommended ask - advise - refer tobacco cessation protocol with patients . this protocol has implemented in a project designed to improve healthcare provider referrals to a state - funded quitline . the quitline is an evidence - based tobacco cessation intervention that assists patients ready and willing to quit tobacco . the project uses electronic health records ( ehrs ) to assist clinicians with providing tobacco cessation and referral options to patients .

before this program was implemented , data released by the state demonstrated that foster children were being overprescribed psychotropic medications . because these children are repeatedly relocated , physicians are frequently unaware of a child’s existing medication regimen and often prescribe another treatment beyond current therapy . the state had established a practice parameter regarding psychotropic medication use for foster children , and the health plan involved was tasked with monitoring the use of psychotropic medications in the foster care population in direct comparison with state parameters .

the prescription drug monitoring program ( pdmp ) mandate fight is still on . after the sunset advisory commission recommended a sweeping mandate for physicians to check the pdmp before issuing prescriptions for any controlled substances , tma went to work to prevent such burdensome requirements , instead proposing more reasonable solutions to combat drug diversion and doctor - shopping . many of those technology - based solutions are part of senate bill 316 by senator hinojosa , which was awaiting a hearing before the house public health committee at press time .

imagine an online service that could show you a comprehensive , continually updated portrait of your health history . every childhood vaccination , notes and treatments for an emergency hospital stay while on vacation 10 years ago , several years’ worth of psychiatrist visits , even current progress being made for a 10 , 000 - steps - a - day goal from a fitbit fitness tracker . it would be secure from hackers , accessible from any device for you or any medical professional treating you , and very easy to use .

has opened a 24 - hour crisis line for all texans affected by the storm and its aftermath . the toll - free number to access free , confidential counseling services is 1 - 800 - 327 - 7451 . magellan will provide free , confidential counseling services and other resources , such as referrals to local non - profit organizations , shelters and additional community - based support to assist texans as they work to cope with the feelings of fear , sadness , anger and hopelessness related to these kinds of natural disasters . in addition , tip sheets with resources specific to hurricane preparedness , response and recovery can be found on magellan health’s website .

dr . dunn is recognized by her peers as a visionary leader for healthcare reform using quality , information systems and telemedicine . she is a practicing general internist who serves as adjunct faculty at the school of biomedical informatics ( sbmi ) . she founded your doctor program , l . p . ( ydp ) to support a model for accountability in healthcare using standards of practice for information management for quality management while incorporating comprehensive framework for telemedicine into care . prior to joining the sbmi faculty , she was vice chair of internal medicine at utmb and played a leading role in developing the telemedicine program and outcomes management program for the texas prison system . she established the first national center for quality and outcomes research in correctional healthcare . while at sbmi , she lead the development of the applied informatics program with a focus on telemedicine and quality using information systems . she lead the establishment of the regional extension center program at sbmi to incorporate electronic medical records into 1800 practices in 2 years .

optum is offering a free emotional - support help line to affected individuals . the toll - free number , 866 - 342 - 6892 , will be open 24 hours a day , seven days a week , for as long as necessary . the service is free of charge and open to anyone . specially trained optum mental health specialists help people manage their stress and anxiety so they can continue to address their everyday needs . callers may also receive referrals to community resources to help them with specific concerns , including financial and legal matters . along with the toll - free help line , emotional - support resources and information are available online at urltoken .

on a tight time schedule , the firm was able to provide a report to the client regarding standard review findings and then developed an enterprise architecture blueprint ( eab ) for the health information exchange domain over a six - year vision , and an eab lifecycle management plan that ensures certain levels of backwards compatibility as standards evolve . in addition , the firm developed an implementation specification document that can be used by local and regional hies as a technical reference for hie implementation . development of these resources in a timely fashion has allowed the state hie , within limited resources , to establish a state framework that is flexible to allow for local needs , and a life - cycle that will allow the hie to adjust to changes in technology .

may 9 brought another major incremental victory for medicine as senate bill 680 by senator hancock won approval in the house . sb 680 would allow physicians to continue prescribing an effective medication even if a health plan ' s step therapy protocols call for a change in medication . it also would expedite the step therapy override process from 52 days to three days . the house made some changes to the version that passed the senate last month . it now only needs agreement between the two chambers before it can head to governor abbott . the house also ok ' d a measure that would help medicine collaborate on care on may 6 when it passed tma - supported house bill 3124 by rep . lance gooden ( r - terrell ) . hb 3124 would allow physicians in doctor - led accountable care organizations to receive and share physician - specific comparison data and information .

superior health plan is partnering with rubiconmd , a platform that allows primary care providers to access same - day econsults from top medical specialists to improve patient care . through rubiconmd’s digital platform , primary care doctors share relevant , anonymized patient information , ask clinical questions , and receive responses from specialists in over 150 different specialties within hours . this streamlined process enables primary care providers to use these insights to make faster , more informed decisions for their patients . primary care providers who submit econsults on the rubiconmd platform report that doing so often allows them to avoid unnecessary referrals , procedures , and tests , and provide better overall care to their patients . to help with some of the healthcare access challenges that the medical community in areas affected by hurricane harvey will be facing , they are opening up rubiconmd’s econsult platform at no cost for houston - area primary care physicians , nurse practitioners , physician assistants and other relevant clinical first responders through the end of the year . providers can use this link to sign up directly for free access .

" we couldn ' t have accomplished this without the incredible support from these partners , " says field .

teha is a trusted advisor to elected officials and local , state and federal agencies that provides decision makers with objective and relevant feedback on policy and regulatory proposals .

teha is a venue that creates visibility and relevance for its membership by providing them with multiple opportunities for interaction with stakeholders , customers and partners .

a credible industry voice within our state , with a track record of positively impacting public policy .

a guide and a resource when our members are faced with regulatory uncertainty or a lack of information about the state’s hit marketplace .

an active force in that marketplace - one that’s not just reporting the story but actually influencing the state’s policy framework and decision making process .


the muppets studio , llc , formerly the muppets holding company , llc , is a wholly owned entertainment subsidiary of disney consumer products and interactive media labs , formed in 2004 through the walt disney company 's acquisition of the muppets , fraggle rock and bear in the big blue house intellectual properties from the jim henson company .

the muppets studio

the muppets studio <EOT> ( c ) the muppets studio , llc . all rights reserved , muppets characters and elements and the muppets logo are trademarks of the muppets studio , llc . all rights reserved .

the muppets reunite in an attempt to raise the money needed to save the studio .

the studio said veteran muppets performer matt vogel is now taking over as kermit .

demon hunter independent arts software music by kai hartwig ( conner ) / reflex - studio . & kai walter / reflex - studio soundeffects by kai walter / reflex - studio

the muppets studio claims performer steve whitmire did not address " unacceptable business conduct ' ' .

the company acquired the muppets and bear in the big blue house franchises in 2004 , forming muppets holding company , llc ( later retitled the muppets studio , llc ) .

ultimate brain games music by kai hartwig ( conner ) / reflex - studio . soundeffects by kai walter / reflex - studio

the muppets studio ( formerly known as muppets holding company and muppet studios ) is a subsidiary of the walt disney company . formed in 2004 , the studio manages the the muppet characters and trademarks . the studio also serves as the real - life production house for many muppet projects .

the muppets ' official website ( c . 2005 - 2008 ) , was themed around muppet studios , a fictional muppetwood movie studio . the studio featured several locations , including :

the muppets studio logo is maybe found on muppets most wanted , released on march 21 , 2014 , but it ' s rated pg .

i just heard from debbie mclellan , and she said that bear falls under the muppets studio umbrella . —

disney drive - on with the muppets takes place at the disney studio , with various references to disney productions .

a geological survey ( along with tex richman ' s sense of smell ) says there is oil under the studio . richman tries to get ownership of the studio under the guise of turning the studio into a muppet museum .

the first major production of the muppets studio was the muppets ' wizard of oz , a television movie that was already in development with abc prior to disney ' s purchase of the muppets .

the central feature of the studio is the muppet theatre , home of the muppet show .

the muppets studio released an official statement regarding the firing of steve whitmire , who voiced kermit the frog for 27 years .

the company acquired the rights to the muppets and bear in the big blue house characters from the jim henson company in february 2004 , forming the muppets studio , llc ( formerly muppets holding company , llc ) .

new york—the muppets studio is blaming “unacceptable business conduct” for its dismissal of steve whitmire as the longtime performer of kermit the frog .

muppet studios is a title that has been used in several muppet projects as the fictional movie studio that produces content for the muppets . the similarly - named " the muppets studio " would later be established as the real subsidiary under disney that manages the muppets following their purchase of the franchise in 2004 .

the muppets studio is blaming " unacceptable business conduct ' ' for its dismissal of steve whitmire as the longtime performer of kermit the frog .

additionally , his team oversees the muppets studio . under laughlin ' s leadership , the muppets studio has expanded the franchise and its content beyond films to digital platforms , short - form content , television shows , and additional opportunities that draw new audiences to the beloved characters .

following whitmire ' s blog post , the muppets studio issued a statement saying whitmire had been replaced due to his " unacceptable business conduct " and that he " consistently failed to address " the studio ' s feedback .

in the muppets , after ' 80s robot drives the muppets wildly down the street to the muppet theatre to start the show , their car drives past disney ' s soda fountain and studio store .

the muppets studio has blamed " unacceptable business conduct " for its dismissal of steve whitmire as the long - time performer of kermit the frog .

this article originally appeared with producers and executives at odds as the sweet studio deal dies .

the series is produced by alex rockwell and directed by bill barretta . it is a production of the muppets studio in association with disney junior .

fired kermit actor in a battle of words with muppets studio steve whitmire was recently let go from disney as the voice of kermit the frog . muppets studio released a statement on monday saying that whitmire was fired for ' unacceptable business behavior . ' check out this story on urltoken urltoken

muppet studios was first seen in the 1988 view - master interactive vision game muppets studios presents : you ' re the director . the muppet ' s hollywood film studio is falling behind schedule in the production of numerous films and is in need of help . the studio is going broke , and the bossy head of the studio , yolanda steel , focuses on the financials . depending on the number of retrieved money sacks in the game , the studio is either saved or shut down .

only on the official youtube channel for the muppets can you see the classic muppets music videos , exclusive cuts of muppets music , and all new original muppets song covers ! check out classic muppets music videos like the muppets cover of queen’s “bohemian rhapsody , ” ok go and the muppets , and the muppets music videos for “jungle boogie” , as performed by dr . teeth and the electric mayhem . from pøpcörn , mahna mahna phenomahna , the ballad of beaker , to throwback muppets songs like ringing of the bells there are new and classic muppets videos for every muppets fan to enjoy . also check out several exclusive muppets music videos from muppets movies like muppets most wanted and the muppets . music videos like man or muppet and interrogation song . also don’t forget the crowd favorite american woman performed by sam the eagle .

, redirected the muppet holding company links there , and moved the main muppets studio redirects to point to the main page . and now we see what happens ! - -

the muppets studio has been managed by chris curtin ( 2004 - 2005 ) , russell hampton ( 2005 - 2006 ) and lylle breier ( 2006 - present ) .

the term " holding co . " isn ' t used at all in the legal jargon and " the muppets studio , llc . " ( the llc and copyright / trademark attributions makes it seem like a legal title not just a nick - name ) is used several times . " the muppets studio , llc " title was also used on the later episodes of

on the feature side , the franchise featured 1992 ' s the muppet christmas carol , 1996 ' s muppet treasure island and 1999 ' s muppets from space , the latter two of which were co - produced by disney , who acquired rights to the muppets in 2004 and formed the muppets studio . the company rebranded the franchise in 2008 with jason segel ' s the muppets , with an eighth feature in the franchise , muppets most wanted bowing in 2014 .

now that muppets studio has a popular youtube channel and twitter feed , people are starting to search for that name . in the last couple days , " muppets studio " was the # 9 search term that got people to click to us . unfortunately , when they get here , the page that they get isn ' t that interesting - - it ' s similar to what we had for " the muppets " a while back . it ' s nice to have the company history , but the people who are looking for " muppets studio " are probably looking for our main page .

disney’s muppets , the global franchise originally created by jim henson , are working with google’s youtube in a bid to broaden the brand to younger audiences via mashup videos with a range of youtube stars . the mouse house’s muppets studio and youtube space l . a . , the studio google funds to encourage creators to create video for the platform , have teamed [ … ]

level star power — into our favorite fuzzy puppet troupe next month with the spesh “studio dc : almost live . ”

why was this moved ? the muppets studio has been used on urltoken since the disney version launched . — scott ( talk ) 03 : 07 , 26 october 2006 ( utc )

last week , it was announced that matt vogel would be replacing steve whitmire as the voice of kermit the frog . two days later , whitmire revealed the muppets studio had fired him back in october , and the studio has since said their “decision to part ways” was a result of whitmire’s “unacceptable business conduct . ”

steve whitmire was recently let go from disney as the voice of kermit the frog . muppets studio released a statement on monday saying that whitmire was fired for ' unacceptable business behavior . '

the walt disney company welcomes the muppets into the disney family in the 2004 annual report .

disney is launching a new digital series starring the muppets to promote this month’s release of “the muppets most wanted” on all homevideo formats .

characters are muppets ( although not of the muppet show family ) and they were brought into the disney family at the same time as the muppets ( with henson having some overseeing for the first years . . . and thus the original holding company for the muppets ) . so it is likely that lylle breier and the staff of the muppet studio also have control over

the muppets studio logo became the signature on productions of the company ; web series such as from the balcony and the muppets kitchen with cat cora , television specials like studio dc : almost live on disney channel , and a muppets christmas : letters to santa which aired on nbc . the logo was also added to home video releases by buena vista home entertainment ( including the muppet show season box sets , kermit ' s 50th anniversary edition dvds , and other muppet titles ) .

whitmire had been with the muppets since 1978 , and took over as kermit after the untimely death of muppets founder jim henson in 1990 .

i ' ve just been informed that the legal name has indeed changed from muppets holding company , llc to the muppets studio , llc . this comes from debbie mcclellan who is the director of creative affairs for the muppets studio . additional support for the change can be seen on the packaging for the muppet show : season three and sesame street ' s season 39 credits . the first episode of the season lists the following in the credits : " muppets tm is a trademark of muppets holding company , llc " . however , episode 4173 ( featuring kermit in " everybody be yo ' self " ) is credited for kermit ' s appearance and the use of the term " muppet " to the muppets studio , llc . i ' m going to go ahead and move the page . — scott ( talk ) 20 : 02 , 16 october 2008 ( utc )

the muppets studio did not detail the nature of whitmire’s “repeated unacceptable business conduct , ” but said it spanned “a period of many years , ” adding that “he consistently failed to address” his employers’ feedback .

disney is launching a new digital series starring the muppets to promote this month’s release of “the muppets most wanted” on all homevideo formats . the six - part series called “disney drive - on with the muppets , ” launches aug . 1 , with new installments introduced each friday that include the characters interacting with celebrities on the burbank studio lot . watch [ … ]

the jim henson company ' s studio originally belonged to charlie chaplin . they ' ve kept his name as one of their stages .

whitmire had been with the muppets since 1978 , and took over as kermit after the untimely death of muppets ' founder jim henson in 1990 .

the muppets studio has been managed by chris curtin ( february 2004 - october 2005 ) , russell hampton ( 4th quarter of 2005 - 2006 ) and lylle breier ( 2006 - 2010 ) . when the muppets were first transferred to disney , the division had only two employees . [ 5 ] as of 2015 , muppets studio is managed under dcpi ( disney consumer products and interactive media ) as part of the labs group headed by kyle laughlin . [ 6 ] [ 7 ]

the mouse house’s muppets studio and youtube space l . a . , the studio google funds to encourage creators to create video for the platform , have teamed with youtubers including a capella vocalist mike tompkins ( pictured above , with miss piggy ) , musician lindsey stirling , crash course , vsauce3 , barely political and mental floss . the videos they have created will appear on the muppets’ official youtube channel , as well as on their own channels , and promoted on the muppets ’ social - media pages .

in an interview monday with the hollywood reporter whitmire said the studio felt he had been too outspoken in expressing how the kermit character should be portrayed on the abc prime - time muppets mockumentary series that aired in 2015 - 16 .

updated : the muppet studio , the division of the walt disney co . responsible responsible for the muppets , said monday that it fired kermit the frog voice actor steve whitmire after “repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years . ”

muppet studios was a central location in the film the muppets . the studio is located in hollywood , just off of hollywood boulevard . walter , gary , and mary visit the now - decrepit studio on their vacation . the studio tour guide ( alan arkin ) says that muppet studios is " where dreams can come true . " tours ( originally 50¢ ) are now $ 1 . 50 and poorly attended ( the only other attendees are a group of japanese tourists who think they are on a universal studios tour ) .

the muppets at youtube space l . a . videos have been slated to go live from late april through june 2015 . in addition , the muppets will be releasing original content created exclusively for the muppets’ youtube channel throughout the rest of the year .

watch the all - new movie " muppets most wanted " , in theaters march 21 , and help put on a show and save the muppets theater .

steve whitmire , who voiced kermit the frog for almost three decades , was let go for " unacceptable business conduct , " the studio said on monday .

abc orders comedy series ‘the muppets , ’ ‘dr . ken’ and ‘the real o’neals’ – variety

the six - part series called “ disney drive - on with the muppets , ” launches aug . 1 , with new installments introduced each friday that include the characters interacting with celebrities on the burbank studio lot . watch the trailer above and a clip below .

in what is being described as " a willy wonka moment , " the jim henson company is opening the gates to the hallowed and historic hollywood studio lot for the first time .

muppets holding company vp and general manager chris curtin with pepe the king prawn at a disney properties conference discussing upcoming projects for the muppets on july 11th , 2005 .

sesame workshop ® , sesame street ® and associated characters , trademarks and design elements are owned and licensed by sesame workshop . © 2011 sesame workshop . all rights reserved . © 2011 the muppets studio , llc . all rights reserved . kermit the frog character and name are trademarks of muppets holding company , llc . kermit the frog © 2011 muppets holding company , llc . all rights reserved .

the muppets studio did not detail the nature of whitmire ' s " repeated unacceptable business conduct " , but said it spanned " a period of many years " , adding that " he consistently failed to address " his employers ' feedback .

fan site muppet central created by phillip chapman . updates by muppet central staff . all muppets , bear characters are copyright of the muppets studio . sesame street characters are copyright of sesame workshop . fraggle rock , creature shop and similar likenesses are copyright of the jim henson company . muppet central is hosted by knownhost .

whitmire disagrees with henson’s assessment and thinks the change could have a negative effect on the muppets .

steve whitmire , longtime voice of kermit the frog , stopped by today and fired back at recent criticism that’s been hurled his way by the muppets studio and from muppets creator jim henson’s children . whitmire was fired last fall after voicing kermit for 27 years but has stayed quiet about the firing until a recent post on his website .

our studio just looks like a miniature movie studio . like the studio in " the muppets , " the disney movie that came out recently , it has a little gate that opens and you feel like you ' re driving onto a little movie lot , but it ' s very tiny . we ' re smaller than one square block . it ' s a very creative atmosphere here . we have everything from motion capture performers walking around with the little mo - cap spots on their suits , to people who are artists , designers and puppet builders . we also still run a recording studio here . in the evening at about six or seven , those people come to work . the rock stars arrive for the night shift on our lot .

i mean real rock stars . they arrive at night and make their records in the recording studio , so we have a day life and a night life .

first , some background : news broke last week that whitmire , who has brought the felt - skinned favorite to life for the past 27 years , was being replaced by another actor named matt vogel . whitmire says he’s been with the muppets studio for 39 years .

the muppets studio did not detail the nature of whitmire ' s " repeated unacceptable business conduct , ' ' but said it spanned " a period of many years , ' ' adding that " he consistently failed to address ' ' his employers ' feedback .

lady gaga and kermit the frog on ' lady gaga & the muppets ' holiday spectacular . ' '

“the muppets have been entertaining and inspiring youtube audiences for several years , and we are thrilled to re - engage current fans while capturing new ones through these exciting collaborations , ” said debbie mcclellan , vp of the muppets studio . “we really enjoyed our residency at youtube space l . a . and look forward to many future projects together . ”

“bringing ‘muppet babies’ to disney junior is a wonderful opportunity to reach a new generation of viewers and to creatively build on the innovative original series , ” said debbie mcclellan , vice president , the muppets studio . “we hope to engage and delight the nostalgic fans while also entertaining new kids , parents and diverse audiences through heart and humor as only the muppets can deliver . ”

until 2006 , when custody of the muppets was transferred to the film studio . then - chairman dick cook couldn ' t interest his own movie executives , so kermit and friends were assigned to the studio ' s special - events group . cook engaged oz to develop a script , which oz was to direct . ( he had directed the muppets take manhattan as well as live - action movies including little shop of horrors and what about bob ? ) but as that film was on the brink of getting a green light , cook was ousted .

in 2007 , the muppets studio collaborated with walt disney imagineering to create the muppet mobile lab . in 2009 , the company launched an official youtube channel , a promotional twitter feed , and an official facebook page . in late 2009 - early 2010 , the muppets were featured in the give a day . get a disney day . campaign for disneyland and walt disney world . in 2012 , an interactive game featuring the muppets , the case of the stolen show , debuted aboard the newest disney cruise ship , the disney fantasy .

abc is filming a proof of concept for a revival of the muppets , the hollywood reporter has learned .

updated : the muppet studio , the division of the walt disney co . responsible responsible for the muppets , said monday that it fired kermit the frog voice actor steve whitmire after “repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years . ” “the role of kermit the frog is an iconic one that is beloved by fans and [ … ]

muppets character kermit the frog will be voiced by matt vogel following the firing of his long time voice actor .

the return of “the muppets” to tv is described as a documentary - style show that will explore the muppets ’ personal lives and relationships , both at home and at work , including breakups , romances and more adult topics that lend themselves to a reinvented version of the beloved characters fit for all ages . the series comes from “the big bang theory’s” bill prady and bob kushell , who serve as co - writers and exec producers , along with randall einhorn and bill barretta . abc studios and the muppets studio will produce .

the new , cg - animated revival will , like the original , be geared toward children ages 4 - 7 and feature two 11 - minute adventures per episode . the show will be a co - production between disney junior , disney consumer products and interactive media’s content & media group , and the muppets studio .

disney and the muppets studio have a differing interpretation of the terms of whitmire ' s departure , stating that the actor exhibited " unacceptable business conduct . " a source close to the studio told thr that whitmire ' s communication style was " overly hostile and unproductive " and his way of negotiation delayed productions . his persistent unprofessional behavior over a number of years ultimately led to the decision , the source said . as for whitmire being honored , the source told thr the puppeteer was not interested in what was proposed . no details were given .

kermit the frog’s date to the 2009 vmas , lady gaga , has reportedly filmed a holiday special with the muppets for abc .

in 2011 , a new theatrical muppet movie was released through walt disney pictures , entitled the muppets . this was followed by a sequel , muppets most wanted , released by disney in 2014 .

following henson ' s death , the franchise continued with muppets tonight airing on abc in 1996 with reruns airing on sibling disney channel from 1997 - 2000 . that was the last television series to feature the muppets characters .

overstuffed studio stables mostly perished in the wga - strike housecleaning . now , surviving producers fight for stingier deals and fewer film slots in an environment of belt - tightening and cold creative calculation .

pearl street films : ben affleck & matt damon the studio can ' t get enough of affleck , whose growing directing career ( he ' s now filming argo ) has him looking like clint eastwood ' s heir . and damon is clearly prepared to follow : the studio has grabbed several scripts for him to direct , including a drama screenplay the actor co - wrote . the duo also has the whitey bulger story in the works .

disney will release “muppets most wanted” on blu - ray and dvd on aug . 12 .

on the comedy side , the muppets arrives as it has become increasingly challenging to launch original scripted half - hours .

steve whitmire , who had voiced kermit the frog for 27 years before being fired by disney , says he was let go because he spoke up about changes being made to the character he felt were against what creator jim henson would have wanted . the muppets studio claims it was about how whitmire conducted himself in the workplace .

certainly it worked for sony with the smurfs . it had been a couple of decades since the blue creatures had their heyday , and the studio brought them roaring back with a worldwide gross of more than $ 540 million . ( with a $ 110 million budget , the wager was far higher than disney ' s on the muppets . )

the irony is that segel wanted to make the film because he is such a passionate muppets fan . even the old guard acknowledges that segel wants to do right by the muppets , but many feel the pervasive attitude on the film was dismissive of those who originated the characters .

in honor of the muppets’ new show , we take a look at some of their early career lessons .

jim henson , the muppets , and friends ; with drawings by jim henson ; edited by cheryl henson .

mandeville films : david hoberman & todd lieberman in 2009 , mandeville supplied disney with the impressive $ 317 million worldwide gross of the proposal and the middling performance of surrogates . after the muppets in november , the duo has projects filming for summit and relativity and here there be monsters set up at warner bros . but nothing approaching the runway at their home studio .

in the muppets ' wizard of oz , the " goofy holler " is used when the tin thing falls through the wizard ' s trap door .

disney ’s maker studios team advised muppets studios on collaborations , channel strategy and working with youtube .

june 3 : john and hank green from “crash course” encounter a classroom full of rowdy muppets .

whitmire had worked for the muppets since 1978 and served as the voice of kermit since 1990 after the death of jim henson . whitmire will be replaced by matt vogel , who previously performed as kermit imitator constantine in muppets most wanted .

. it will include the “applause” singer performing her own songs , as well as some holiday classics , with the muppets . it’s the singer’s

like a lot of aging people in hollywood , the muppets were pretty much sitting on a shelf at disney when mr . segel visited the studio in 2008 to talk about projects after his full - frontal moment in “forgetting sarah marshall . ” mr . segel suggested a muppet movie , and disney was open - minded .

whitmire could not immediately be reached for comment , but in an interview monday with the hollywood reporter he said the studio felt he had been too outspoken in expressing how the kermit character should be portrayed on the abc prime - time muppets mockumentary series that aired in 2015 - 16 . whitmire said he had only been trying to help keep the show “on track . ”

following six drama orders , abc has picked up three comedy series : “the muppets , ” “the real o’neals” and “dr . ken . ” the return of “the muppets” to tv is described as a documentary - style show that will explore the muppets’ personal lives and relationships , both at home and at work , including breakups , romances and more adult topics that [ … ]

henson ' s puppets moved to the big screen in 1979 with the muppet movie , followed by movies including the great muppet caper and the muppets take manhattan .

i believe that i recently found a post at muppet central that mentioned the reason for the title change from the muppets holding company to muppet studios , but i forget the reason . i think it had something to do with the muppets holding company sounding too formal . - -

whitmire could not immediately be reached for comment , but in an interview monday with the hollywood reporter he said the studio felt he had been too outspoken in expressing how the kermit character should be portrayed on the abc prime - time muppets mockumentary series that aired in 2015 - 16 . whitmire said he had only been trying to help keep the show " on track . ' '

abc is part of the walt disney co . , which purchased the muppets franchise from the jim henson co . in 2004 and the right to use the characters in its theme parks , movies , tv shows and retail products . the abc television movie the muppets ' wizard of oz aired earlier this year .

yeah , that makes sense . while i had that studio system trial , their records showed that the " holding company " was contracted for a three year development period . now that period has passed and the original language is no longer applicable , and besides they ' re more actively finding ways to use the muppets and producing new stuff . - -

the muppets may stage their own reality talent show . we just hope statler and waldorf come down from the balcony to be judges .

the exhibit ends with a peek at projects henson had in mind before his sudden fatal illness in 1990 at the age of 53 . there isn’t too much devoted to the lives the muppets have had since that time , and certainly nothing alluding to the current row between the henson organization and the puppeteer steve whitmire . but the muppets section does include test footage shot before 1979’s the muppet movie , the first time kermit the frog and miss piggy were ever filmed outside of a studio . these experiments helped henson and crew figure out how to capture the famous sequence of kermit riding a bicycle .

it’s too early to say whether a project will develop out of the recent muppets event . but according to attendees , the brief tryout seemed to go well , and a stage version of the muppets seems a no - brainer given the high profile of the widely beloved disney property .

one is the expense , this show is expensive as i’m turning the soundstage into a theater . also , it’s a hardworking lot around the clock as we’ve got the henson recording studio here , which is the biggest rock and roll recording studio in america , so the lot does work and hum along 24 / 7 . it is disruptive , to a degree , to open up the lot for a public audience to come in so because of that it only really makes sense to do it for one of our own shows .

in “drive - on , ” pepe the king prawn is left in charge of the muppets’ office and takes on the responsibility of “mentoring” walter on the business of hollywood . still considered the “new guy” with the muppets , walter is given low - level jobs working alongside his fellow muppets at their office in the famed walt disney studios in burbank . he quickly learns there is a lot more to making movies than he thought .

after finding the studio , they go on a tour — alan arkin plays the cranky guide — and find the place “run - down and for the most part abandoned , ” mr . lieberman said . ( sound familiar ? ) but kermit & company decide to fix all that by reuniting the gang , blues brothers - style , for an old - fashioned variety show fund - raiser that saves the studio from a villain named tex richman , played by chris cooper , who thinks he can smell oil under the famous muppet theater .

the late jim henson ' s muppets got their first regular , widespread exposure on pbs ' sesame street starting in 1969 .

i say put all of the muppets in a box and light a match . . . r . i . p .

the jim henson company fan mail ( for performers & muppets ) p . o . box 20726 new york , ny 10023

there’s plenty of fun for the whole family as kermit the frog , miss piggy , animal and the entire muppets gang head out on a world tour .

a sesame street episode parodying the lion king was introduced as a " walt dizzy film , " with a small warner bros . - like logo below , and an mgm - like circle with a chicken in the spot of the studio ' s trademark lion .

the company ' s efforts to diversify was one of the topics of discussion when the frame ' s john horn visited lisa henson on the small studio lot that once belonged to charlie chaplin , and later housed a & m records . below are some highlights of that conversation .

following six drama orders , abc has picked up three comedy series : “ the muppets , ” “the real o’neals” and “dr . ken . ”

disney has been working with a vengeance in anticipation of the film ' s nov . 23 release to trend up the characters online , including amusing spoofs of such films as the hangover part ii and the girl with the dragon tattoo . a song sung by stars jason segel and amy adams premiered on ryan seacrest ' s radio show oct . 12 . the studio has been buoyed by strong test screenings , and based on internet chatter , anticipation for the film is high . but the muppets haven ' t been in theaters since muppets from space tanked for sony in 1999 .

hmmm , maybe disney is finally getting serious about mounting a muppets revival . i hope so . mouse house will inject a big dose of disney channel star power — miley cyrus level star power — into our favorite fuzzy puppet troupe next month with the spesh “studio dc : almost live . ” it’s described as “a music - filled sketch [ … ]

fair enough , until some more solid information comes along we can leave it under muppet holding co . . . i ' ll add a note to the article about the " studio " thing , and keep my eye out for more information . - -

" the first issue was that they felt i had been ' disrespectful ' in being outspoken on character issues with the small group of top creative people during the abc series , " said whitmire , who had been working with the muppets since 1978 . " i have been outspoken about what ' s best for the muppets since the muppets came to disney [ 2004 ] , but the fact is i have respect for everyone who was involved in the creation of that series for their own particular contributions . at the same time , i also have insight into their limitations with respect to how well they know the muppets . "

matt vogel will take over as kermit the frog . his first time as the character will be in a " muppets thought of the week " video this week .

brian henson , who is the company’s chairman , told the times that whitmore often sent emails attacking writers , directors and others involved in muppets projects .

henson would have turned 77 this week — the muppets creator died in 1990 at age 53 — but he lives on in the words of kermit .

disney aims to reboot the muppets franchise with a new movie . the gang hasn ' t had a big box - office hit in 32 years .

at that point , disney started its cycle of on - again - off - again efforts to put the muppets back to work .

jim henson ' s lovable muppets return to the small screen in this mockumentary - style series that follows their personal and professional lives .

em . tv , which paid $ 680 million for the characters , would later have financial problems , and in 2003 sold the muppets back to the henson children for $ 78 million . the family later sold the muppets to disney while retaining the rights to other henson creations like the fraggles . ( sesame workshop owns “sesame street” and related characters . )

the muppets have been working in hollywood for almost 40 years , but rather than considering retirement , they are well into the second act of their careers .

according to a muppets veteran , toward the end of his life , muppets creator jim henson was finding it a challenge to keep his creatures in the public eye . he was operating independently in an era of media concentration , which helps explain his decision to sell to disney .

watch the all - new movie " muppets most wanted " , in theaters now . how many outfits can you create for miss piggy ?

“studio dc” is hosted by dylan and cole sprouse of “the suite life of zack & cody . ” seems a little funny that fozzie bear , kermit or gonzo the great wouldn’t be at least a co - host…but i’ll reserve judgment until i see the spesh , which bows aug . 3 .

while the special - events unit was developing the oz script , cook ' s executives were talking to segel . when he pitched the idea for a muppets movie , those previously unenthusiastic executives became more interested . the fact that disney moved ahead on the script segel wrote with nicholas stoller left the old muppets pros suspicious , as one puts it , that " this is a case of disney wanting to get into the jason segel business , " as opposed to reviving the franchise . this insider adds , " my biggest hope is that it comes across as a muppets film and not a jason segel film that the muppets happen to be in . "

at the time of his firing , whitmire was under the impression that not only did he have a long future with the muppets but also his role was about to expand .

“the first issue was that they felt i had been ‘disrespectful’ in being outspoken on character issues with the small group of top creative people during the abc series , ” he told the publication . “i have been outspoken about what’s best for the muppets since the muppets came to disney [ 2004 ] , but the fact is i have respect for everyone who was involved in the creation of that series for their own particular contributions . at the same time , i also have insight into their limitations with respect to how well they know the muppets . ”

“the role of kermit the frog is an iconic one that is beloved by fans and we take our responsibility to protect the integrity of that character very seriously , ” a spokesperson for the muppets studio said in a statement to ew . “we raised concerns about steve’s repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years and he consistently failed to address the feedback . the decision to part ways was a difficult one which was made in consultation with the henson family and has their full support . ”

watch the all new movie " muppets most wanted " , in theaters march 21 , and rock out on the drums to unleash animal ' s wild side .

: on a white background , we see several muppets that appear to be " bursting " out of the background , with kermit in front . the words :

the muppets won’t be following the variety - show - style format of the original muppet show ( 1976 - 1981 ) and muppets tonight ( 1996 - 1998 ) . instead , the new show will be shot in documentary style and will explore the muppets’ personal lives and relationships , both at home and at work , as well as achievements , disappointments , romances , and breakups ( kermit and miss piggy publicly announced their breakup in a publicity stunt for the show this summer ) .

the tension involved in reviving the faded muppets franchise is one that should have familiar echoes at disney . after the death of walt disney in 1966 , executives at the company became so engrossed in wondering " what would walt do ? " that disney became almost paralyzed . in the case of the muppets , the tendency to enshrine the creator might be magnified by the fact that the bearded henson died so young and unexpectedly at 53 .

and no nipple references ! ! ! ! ! ! i still won ' t let my kids watch the muppets " wizard of oz . "

" and no nipple references ! ! ! ! ! ! i still won ' t let my kids watch the muppets wizard of oz . "

" the role of kermit the frog is an iconic one that is beloved by fans and we take our responsibility to protect the integrity of that character very seriously , " a spokesperson for the muppets studio told thr in a statement . " we raised concerns about steve ' s repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years and he consistently failed to address the feedback . the decision to part ways was a difficult one which was made in consultation with the henson family and has their full support . "

jerry bruckheimer films : jerry bruckheimer the fourth pirates of the caribbean film triumphed , but the run - up to it - - confessions of a shopaholic , g - force , prince of persia : the sands of time and apprentice - - failed to reach blockbuster status , forcing the mega - producer into an atypical public wrestling match with the studio to get the lone ranger greenlighted .

mr . eisner has waited a long time for this moment . as an executive at abc in his 20s in the late 1960s , he recalls , he was eager to put the muppets on the network . but like many suitors , abc wanted the muppets to be a broader children ' s property . mr . henson was determined not to change the tone of the muppets , and he went into business instead with the british tv mogul lew grade . " the muppet show ' ' was syndicated around the world and launched kermit as an international star .

this marks the second time prady has attempted to revive the muppets . the writer - producer shot some test footage before cbs ' the big bang theory that disney ultimately passed on . for his part , prady earned an emmy nomination in 1991 for writing tribute the muppets celebrate jim henson in 1990 and has contributed writing to disney ' s muppet - themed attractions . should abc order muppets to series , prady would juggle both that project and cbs ' the big bang theory , which he exec produces .

some people forget that the muppets “were never designed as children ' s entertainment , ” says todd lieberman , left , a producer , with david hoberman .

while on a grand world tour , the muppets find themselves wrapped into an european jewel - heist caper headed by a kermit the frog look - alike and his dastardly sidekick .

apatow productions : judd apatow apatow broke ground again by helping bridesmaids become a surprise smash this summer ( it surpassed the gross of his own knocked up for the studio in 2007 ) . and the comedy continues : wanderlust , the five - year engagement and this is forty - - which he also wrote and directed - - hit theaters in 2012 .

that being said , if disney really wants kids to know who the muppets are , just put them on television . the original show ( and even , to a much lesser extent , muppets tonight ) have a charm that kids of all ages spark to immediately . if you show it , they will come .

21 laps entertainment : shawn levy levy ' s outfit has been a hit machine for the studio ( minus the rocker ) since night at the museum in 2006 , with more than $ 1 . 3 billion in global grosses generated so far . the ensemble sci - fi comedy neighborhood watch is filming for a summer release , and the museum franchise could always be extended .

before the walt disney company bought the muppets , there had been a number of references in muppet / henson projects to disney and its productions and characters . in recent years , such references to disney in muppet productions have occurred as cross - promotion . the muppets have also been referenced and have made appearances in disney projects as well .

it might be that some of the original muppets crew are overly possessive . but so great are the concerns of some muppets performers who were involved in making the film that sources say a couple of key players - - including the performer behind ( or beneath ) kermit the frog - - considered removing their names from the credits . but they didn ' t , and a muppets veteran says the gesture would have been costly to the performers and fruitless . " it doesn ' t send any message , " he says . " [ disney ] wouldn ' t care . "

we ' re trying to get the old gang back together again ! " says a voice that unmistakably belongs to kermit the frog , in one of the many muppets trailers the disney marketing machine has lobbed onto the web in recent weeks .

with “ muppets most wanted ” out in theaters next march , disney has started to promote the characters through a new online series of shorts called “muppisodes . ”

even though disney began pursuing ownership of the muppets in 1989 , it wasn ' t until february 17 , 2004 that disney ' s dream became a reality .

lightstorm entertainment : james cameron avatar contributed $ 2 . 78 billion in gross revenue to fox ' s coffers in 2009 and 2010 ; it was the first picture the company had delivered to the studio since solaris in 2002 . and while lightstorm has other projects in the works , including a big - budget remake of fantastic voyage , the forthcoming avatar sequels are what really matter .

overbrook entertainment : will smith overbrook , a sony pillar since 2001 , has brought the studio four giant hits , including the 2008 superhero flick hancock and 2010 ' s the karate kid remake with smith ' s son jaden starring . its current contract runs through 2013 , with a remake of annie , an adaptation of the hasbro game risk and a hancock sequel in the works .

given that generational influence , it is all the more puzzling that the muppets became a diminishing presence even as newly invented creatures who seemed to share their spirit — like shrek , from dreamworks animation — took center stage . at a time when prebranded characters are hollywood’s treasured assets , how were the muppets allowed to slip into such a state ?

the show , intended for kids age 2 to 7 , is a series of conversations between the muppets and young kids about topics like “apologies , ” “favorite foods” and “manners . ”

the heart of disney ' s strategy is to take the muppets back to their roots in the tv show , in which kermit sang classics such as " it ' s not easy being green , ' ' and fended off miss piggy ' s advances . when mr . henson created the muppets in the 1950s , he pitched them for adults , albeit with a child friendly tone .

henson’s deal with disney includes a 15 - year contract for his creative services and a production deal with the studio . “my company has signed a production deal with them , ” henson says . “so i’m still working , i still have my own company , but our output is exclusive to disney . ”

in an outpouring of good will , some of hollywood’s brightest young stars have lined up behind reviving the muppets with a film that is , appropriately , about reviving the muppets . over the last several months , ricky gervais , emily blunt , zach galifianakis , jack black and two dozen or so peers have flocked to rented stages on the universal studios lot for roles .

kermit was originally voiced by jim until his death in 1990 , when whitmire — who has been working in some capacity with the muppets since 1978 — took over .

but know this : breier is already fiercely protective of the muppets . having helped to shift control of these characters from disney consumer products over to the studio side of the mouse factory , she ' s now determined to use miss piggy & pals in the way that jim henson originally intended them to be used . not as nostalgic figures who can then be used to sell " pizza hut " products to baby boomers . but - - rather - - as characters who , first & foremost , are meant to entertain .