Rachel Foerster & Associates Ltd.

Our goal is to architect end-to-end solutions for clients to solve today's problems and to enable tomorrow's strategies while delivering total cost reduction through process innovation coupled with electronic information management standards as enabling mechanisms.

To achieve this goal, we've assembled a world class team of Electronic Commerce, EDI, and Information Technologies professionals with years of experience and expertise.

Currently much of our focus is on the Affordable Care Act's Operating Rules as well as continuing focus on HIPAA privacy, security and electronic transaction requirements. To support this effort, RFA brings together the necessary healthcare industry experience and an in-depth knowledge in implementing EDI technologies, privacy and security methodologies, technologies, and safeguards in an information rich environment.

RFA understands the complexity of our industry and the need for comprehensive solutions that address the full spectrum of inter-organizational interactions and interdependencies.

Our Value

• Able to help clients understand complex eCommerce technologies and concepts and apply them to business strategies and needs
• Well-known speaker and educator on HIPAA and Healthcare eCommerce
• Leader in helping healthcare industry implement HIPAA & eCommerce technologies
• Active participant in national and global EDI & eCommerce standards development organizations

Our Strengths

• Our Strengths
• Recognized experts
• 30 years plus healthcare experience
• 27 years active standards development participation
• 10 years supporting development of operating rules

X12 Edward A. Guilbert Lifetime Achievement Award

Recognizing Significant Career Contributions

Purpose

The X12 Guilbert Award recognizes outstanding long-term actions activities, and professional accomplishments related to development and implementation of X12 Standards.

Evaluation Criteria

This award is based on long-term actions and accomplishments. Candidates for the Edward A. Guilbert lifetime achievement award must meet the following criteria.

• Be a recognized EDI expert in an industry supported by X12 Standards.
• Be a long-term participant in the X12 development process.
• Be a long-term contributor to the success of the X12 organization.
• Exhibit long-term advocacy of implementation and use of X12 Standards.

The Story Behind the Awards -- To learn more about the Edward A Guilbert Award click here:

2017 Guilbert Award Recipients

I'm pleased to recognize Rachel Foerster today by presenting her with the Edward A. Guilbert Lifetime Achievement Award.

Rachel didn't begin her career working with EDI, but she migrated toward it early and has been a well-respected, recognized expert for many years. Not long ago, during an online discussion about some EDI topic, a comment was made that Rachel’s opinion was valuable and trustworthy because she is “the authority on healthcare-related EDI in the USA”. High praise indeed, and not from a theorist, that was from a hands-on implementer.

One of the first transaction sets X12 developed was the 850 Purchase Order and some of the early implementers  were hospital suppliers. At the time, Rachel worked for a large supplier, one of the first adopters, as part of a team that incorporated X12 EDI into their workflow. By the late 1980s, almost all the hospitals in the US were using X12 EDI transactions for ordering supplies. Rachel played an integral part in that transition, working to show organizations and individuals, on both sides of the transmissions, the tangible benefits of standardized communication.

During this period, Rachel and a few others, began to consider the possibilities. If the hospitals were using X12 transactions for ordering, why not use X12 EDI transactions for claims and other administrative transactions too? Rachel was up for the challenge and, in true Rachel fashion, committed herself to pursuing the development and implementation of effective and efficient EDI transmissions. When Rachel believes in something, she gives her all, including her impressive intellect, passion, persuasion, energy, and commitment. Just look at the role our standards play in the health insurance industry today.

Rachel also recognized early on that successful EDI required more than the business transactions, X12 surely needed a strong and robust technical base supporting the business transactions. As such, Rachel turned her attention to X12C’s activities, and helped develop the communications, standards, guidelines, and reference models that govern the technical components of today’s EDI Standard.

Rachel has been a leader, influencer, designer, mentor, teacher, and cheerleader, not just for the benefit of X12 but for the benefit of EDI across industries, verticals, and platforms. She has been a sounding board for technologists and business analysts, many times giving them critical feedback they needed and otherwise may not have received. Rachel has influenced policies that have sown the proverbial seeds for the adoption of X12 Standards, not just in health care but across the board. Never content to sit on her laurels, Rachel pushes herself, and the organizations she believes in, to advance, expand, and adapt. Her progressive thinking and enormous energy continue to benefit X12 as well as EDI in general. I’m extremely thankful that she is still devoted to X12 and successful data interchange today, as I know she will continue to be in the future.

This award represents not just what Rachel has achieved, but what data standards have achieved because of Rachel’s contributions. Thank you, Rachel. You are one-of- a-kind and I’m proud to stand here today to recognize your contributions.