HIMSS Preview

Prepare for Change at HIMSS17

By Heather Hogstrom

The annual HIMSS conference will be held February 19–23 in Orlando, Florida. As the first HIT conference since the presidential inauguration, HIMSS17 will give attendees the opportunity to consider changes in federal law and how health care and technology may be impacted by the new administration. Government-related education sessions cover topics such as HIT public policy, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Quality Payment Program and value-based payments, and IT infrastructure, HIT standards, certification, and medical device integration. Ed Rendell, 45th Governor of Pennsylvania, will join John Boehner, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, in a keynote presentation titled “Political Perspectives on America’s Future.” Other keynote speakers will be IBM President and CEO Ginni Rometty and Shark Tank entrepreneurs Robert Herjavec and Kevin O’Leary.

Attendees can take advantage of a plethora of events tailored to their needs, from preconference symposia and workshops to forums and summits. For example, the Revenue Cycle Solutions Summit will help attendees leverage technology and analytics to improve collections and reduce cost, while the Cloud Computing Forum will tackle challenges such as security, interoperability, and compliance, and provide practical knowledge and strategies to move to the cloud. The Cybersecurity Forum, offering lessons in cyber attack recovery and resilience, will include a session titled “How Boston Children’s Hospital Survived an Attack by Anonymous.” Those new to HIM or interested in an employment change can participate in the Career Fair, which allows job seekers to share their résumés and meet recruiters.

To help attendees navigate the more than 1,200 exhibitors, the exhibit hall will include specialty areas such as the Connected Health Experience, featuring consumer and mobile connected patient technologies; the Cybersecurity Command Center, featuring hands-on activities that promote cybersecurity; the Federal Health IT Solutions Pavilion, featuring upcoming federal changes and initiatives; the Intelligent Health Pavilion, featuring live demonstrations of a smart medical home and an intelligent hospital; and University Row, featuring universities offering health informatics degree programs. An expanded HX360 Innovation Zone and a redesigned HIMSS Interoperability Showcase offer more of the latest innovative products and trailblazers in interoperability. New this year are the Alternative Payment Models/Business Intelligence Knowledge Center and the Population Care Management Knowledge Center.

During the conference, attendees can use #HIMSS17 on Twitter to connect with others and share observations. The HIMSS17 mobile app, featuring the conference schedule, exhibitors, and more, is available on the App Store and Google Play. For more information or to register, visit www.himssconference.org.

— Heather Hogstrom is an editorial assistant at For The Record.