Google has released the first screenshots of a new health-information service that will allow people easier access to and greater control of their medical records. Leaving aside the vast and frightening security issues, this seems like a good idea.
The project is still in development, but is going by the codename “Weaver.” At least one Google-watching blog has speculated that this is a reference to Dr. Kerry Weaver, the long-time character played by Laura Innes on NBC’s ER. Dr. Weaver famously came out as a lesbian in season seven and had a child with her partner in season ten before leaving the show in season twelve. I’d like to think that naming Google Health after Dr. Weaver, even temporarily, is a fitting tribute to the groundbreaking portrayal of a lesbian mom on network television.