Our History

The company was founded in 1989 by Dr. Ted Ackroyd as Healthcare Research Affiliates, Inc. (HRA) to provide and interpret data used to guide health care policymaking, planning and management.

Our initial focus was primarily on profiling the performance of hospitals and physicians. Over the years, we have used profiling in a variety of different applications. In addition, a number of other data and research services projects have been undertaken and continue to be offered, including:

• conducting an extensive number of HEDIS audits;
• producing standardized (HEDIS) performance reports for managed care companies;
• working with state governments to assess the care given to their beneficiaries;
• developing and administering a variety of surveys;
• conducting immunization registry, emergency medicine and trauma studies for governmental agencies and others;
• assisting employers in their managed care insurance initiatives;
• matching databases that lack shared identifiers using probabilistic linkage software;
• producing a variety of educational programs on getting, giving and using data;
• creating and applying sophisticated "what if" data models;
• conducting numerous data-based strategic planning endeavors;
• developing a variety of customized software packages for individual clients;
• designing and managing numerous special research projects;
• developing behavioral health data programs for county governments;
• conducting special research studies with major universities; and
• providing data and research services support to pharmaceutical companies, long-term care organizations, and organizations facing legislative and regulatory initiatives.

In late 1994, HRA formed a partnership with J. P. Morgan Capital Corporation, which provided significant financial resources to help the partnership develop, in part, extensive and complex data analysis services. Dr. Ackroyd was the CEO of the partnership.

The firms in the partnership were purchased in 1997 by a publicly traded (NASDAQ) health care technology company, of which we operated as the Healthcare Research and Analysis (HRA) Division. In December 1999, the office and its entire staff converted to a freestanding corporate entity, HealthcareData Company (HDC).

Our client list has grown significantly over the years - with data and research services having been provided to clients in (so far!) 46 states.