History

Cortex was founded in the early 1980's by Stan Gordon and Steve Steele, two information technology and software development experts who had worked in health care for years. The two met while working at a large Seattle-based HMO, where they heard frequently from laboratories looking for a better solution to manage their businesses. Recognizing the opportunity to develop a system built specifically for the needs of anatomic pathology labs, the two founded Cortex Medical Management Systems and launched their first system in 1986.

This first product was built using new microcomputer network technology, created with a robust programming language called AREV. The ground-breaking new product enabled laboratories to easily tailor the system to fit their specific styles of operation. Over 100 AREV systems were installed at pathology laboratories around the U.S., Hong Kong and Australia.

Since then, the company has grown and continued to refine its products, based on customer requests and recommendations. In 1997 the company launched its highly-popular Windows-based versions of The Gold Standard and Medical Billing, and continues to add modules and new products to the mix-including the introduction of Web Report Delivery in 2003, and Web Order Entry in 2005.

With a primary focus on meeting the needs of their customers, Cortex looks to its customers at the annual Cortex User Group Meeting, at regional meetings, and in one-on-one conversations, emails and phone calls for recommendations, modifications and new product ideas.