We've finally had time to go through our 12 pages of notes from last week's fascinating discussion of the Wireless Future of Health IT, co-hosted by New America and CTIA-The Wireless Association.

Last week, we summarized the event's key takeways. Later, we'll post on the some of the real-world examples of how health IT coupled with pervasive broadband access can revolutionize the way we treat diseases and manage chronic conditions. But first, we'd like to give you some of the highlights from Intel chairman Craig Barrett's speech.

Entertaining and insightful, Barrett had much to say on health IT and health care in general. Barrett runs a company that provides health care coverage to over 50,000 workers. He also runs a small ranch in Montana. All of the workers at the ranch have health coverage. So do all of the ranch's 45 horses—but only the equines have complete, electronic medical records. While only a few of us would prefer to be treated by a veterinarian, the lack of connectivity in human health care is a troubling issue and one which Barrett argued had much to do with the way we pay for and organize services in our current medical system.

Barrett likened the status of medical care today to the early days of computers, comparing today's hospitals to yesterday's mainframes. You can't just build bigger mainframes, Barrett argued. Instead, we need to diversify the delivery of care, shifting the focus to managing and preventing the chronic conditions that drive the vast majority of health care spending and health care cost growth.

Barrett argued we needed to "take our brave pills" and move the reform debate from "who pays" to address the more quintessential question of how we can begin to control health care costs.

Finally, Barrett provided some "fortune cookie wisdom," positing that "a small deed done, is better than a great deed planned." With the opportunity before us, Barrett said lawmakers needed to combine policy and vision, focus on what works, and not let the perfect become the enemy of the practical.