The 2017 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition comes to South Florida in Orlando from Feb. 19-23 at the Orange County Convention Center. Here – healthcare providers, physicians, nurses, hospital executives, health IT professionals – and anyone interested in improving health with the best use of IT – come together for these five days to be part of more 350 education sessions, 1,200+ exhibitors and numerous networking events.
“Working together, we can improve lives of people everywhere and realize the vision of a transformed health system,” said Carla Smith, MA, FHIMSS, CNM, executive vice president, HIMSS. “HIMSS17 offers education, exhibition and networking opportunities so that more than 40,000 attendees are ready to positively transform health and healthcare with the best use of IT. Our attendees are at the core of the HIMSS Annual Conference, supported not only by HIMSS, but by thousands of colleagues across the globe.”
Here are some highlights of the conference.
Education: When it comes to education at HIMSS17, attendees will find valuable sessions in both specialty and general education. Preconference symposia and workshops, daylong forums or programs cover relevant topics. On Sunday, Feb. 19, HIMSS17 presents 10 symposia with four new topics:
• Precision medicine
• Learning health system
• Population health
• Medical device security
(A separate fee and registration are required for symposia and workshop programs.)
In addition, special sessions during HIMSS17 focus on how the new Administration will impact health and health IT, with more on overall public policy topics, such as Medicare, Medicaid, MACRA, Congressional action and more.
Job Seekers and Employers: Designed for both job seekers and employers, the Career Institute (Tuesday, Feb. 21, 10:00 – 5:00 pm, at the Hyatt Regency Orlando) offers a day of information sharing and interaction with resume critiques, professional photos, and more.
Exhibition: The HIMSS17 Exhibition floor is the place to find IT product and service innovations to meet the needs of healthcare providers at any level of health IT implementation. From disruptive technologies to the latest IT solutions, the exhibition floor offers attendees valuable time to engage in one-on-one discussions with representatives of exhibiting companies. Visit the HIMSS17 Exhibition floor on Monday, Feb. 20, to Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Networking: The networking opportunities bring together familiar friends and new faces during receptions, galas, the opening reception and more. For example, at the HIMSS17 Wellness Challenge and New Wellness Pavilion, attendees can bring their own activity tracker and join the three-day wellness challenge, from Monday, Feb. 20, through Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Why attend HIMSS17: HIMSS North America Board Chair Dr. Michael Zaroukian has attended the HIMSS Annual Conference for more than 10 years. As he explained in a recent blog post, “I am naturally honored and excited to welcome, congratulate, appreciate and celebrate the accomplishments of the tens of thousands of health and IT professionals who will gather to share experiences, learn new skills, and prepare for the next chapter in improving health with IT. I expect all will be interested in learning how the new administration and Congress will shape healthcare delivery, payment and use of health IT to support our shared goals.
As a participant, I am always eager to see what surprises and delights me, whether it is an outstanding presentation I can use to improve care in my community, new colleagues that become part of my collaborative network, or new and innovative technologies on the exhibit floor that can add value.”
