The AHLTA Definition Contest

As dedicated What's fans know, AHLTA, the Defense Department's electronic health record system, used to be known as an acronym standing for the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application.

But, as Pecksniffian readers pointed out to me in February, an Oct. 11, 2006, internal memo on the Military Health System CITPO (an acronym that stands for Clinical Information Technology Program Office) Wire declared AHLTA a proper noun. I've adhered to that policy ever since, even though Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, thinks it still should be an acronym.

SAIC (an acronym that stands for Science Applications International Corp.) further muddied the AHLTA linguistic waters in May when it issued a press release that said it won a $156 contract from the Military Health System to provide sustainment support (whatever that means) for what it dared to call the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA).

But What's fans have told me that neither the proper noun nor the above acronym really does AHLTA justice. One frustrated AHLTA end user said AHLTA is neither a noun nor an acronym, but an expletive. Another reader agreed AHLTA was an acronym, but said it stood for "Ah Hell, Let's Try Again."

We need to come up with the most fitting description of AHLTA, so I'm asking readers to submit their best new acronym for AHLTA or a pithy and humorous description. The contest will run through Friday, June 5.

Since many AHLTA end users view it as a lemon, we should end up with lemonade, right?

Therefore, I will treat the winner (and a companion) of the "What Does AHLTA Really Mean Contest" to a glass of lemonade - along with a certificate suitable for framing - at Johnny's Half Shell on North Capitol Street near Union Station.

I will try to get a high-ranking Military Health System official to show up for the "award ceremony."

The Vagablond foodie Web site rated Johnny's as serving one of the best lemonades in Washington. Jim Lamontagne, general manager of Johnny's, said he would be happy to set up a table for four folks who just want to order lemonade - I don't want to suborn federal officials, so if you want some clams to go along with the lemonade, it's on your dime.

If the winner is from outside the Washington area, I will ship two dozen lemons, one pound of sugar and a recipe for some really awesome lemonade.

Contest rules:

All entries must be submitted in the comments section of this item as well as in an e-mail to me at bbrewin@govexec.com. Please include a daytime phone number in the e-mail.

No AHLTA description may be longer than 100 words.