Medical Imaging News

February 21, 2007

Ready, Set, HIMSS: What You Need to Know About Next Week

Close to 25,000 health IT and imaging professionals are expected to make their way to New Orleans for a weekend packed with educational and professional growth opportunities.

The 2007 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Meeting and Exposition kicks off February 25 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

"There are more than 300 educational sessions; pick an HIT topic and, most likely, you will find not one, but multiple sessions related to it," said H, Stephen Lieber, CAE, HIMSS president and CEO. "Education at HIMSS is practical and provider-focused. HIT professionals at all levels will find educational value at HIMSS07."

Lieber recommends that attendees plan ahead to determine which sessions and speakers hold the most interest. Some must-see events are detailed below.

CPHIMS Certification
HIMSS also is offering attendees a chance to become certified in health IT, on-site, with the CPHIMS designation.

Interested parties will have several opportunities to take the exam: Wednesday, February 28 at 10 am and 3 pm; and Thursday, March 1 at 10 am. Candidates for the CPHIMS exam must submit $275 by February 26. This CPHIMS Exam fee is nonrefundable and may not be transferred to another person.

Although hosting CPHIMS exams isn't a new addition to the meeting, the delivery of results has been improved. Individuals who take the certification exam on-site will know that day—actually within an hour after the exam period ends—whether or not they passed.

Connect to History
Attendees interested in tracking their own personal health record can do just that—and access a wealth of information about other EMR-related topics—at this year's Interoperability Showcases (booth 7511).

The list of participants includes 76 vendors, all of whom will demonstrate how EHRs really work for not only the clinicians but also the patients. The showcase also includes clinical data exchange among patient care devices and personal health record solutions. All the exchanges of patient health information follow HITSP interoperability specifications.

Something New
The conference's Sunday symposia have been expanded to include a new session on Supply Chain Technology, sponsored with HIMSS by the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM). Attendance requires an additional registration and fee. The new addition joins other popular topics, including quality, pharmacy IT, RHIOs, and the physician IT and nursing informatics Sunday sessions.

Dedicated to providing in-depth information on key industry topics, several Hot Topic Product Pavilions will be located throughout the exhibition space. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss specific solutions to their challenges with these exhibitors. Topics include managing the business of health care; security and privacy; and wireless and mobility.

Plan Ahead—Or Don’t
Not registered yet? Not a problem. "Online registration is open throughout the conference; it never closes," Lieber said. "Someone who has not registered yet can go online with a laptop in the airport, register, and then pick up the badge once they arrive at the convention center."

On-site registration also will be available throughout the conference, starting Saturday, February 24, at noon until 7 pm.

The HIMSS07 site is also a rich resource of information, and, thanks to wi-fi access in all lobby locations (and in most education session rooms), it can be accessed at any time throughout the show.

Log on for an up-to-date schedule, including meeting locations; the Convention Center Floor Plan; or to see a complete list of registered attendees.

Additional resources include details on the planned keynote speakers, which can be charted with the quick-reference schedule.

Those who use pocket PCs or other handheld devices are encouraged to download the portable conference guide.

Easing into the Big Easy
The devastation experienced by New Orleans and her citizens as a result of Hurricane Katrina were well documented. Unfortunately, much of the news coming out about the city today is misleading or, in many cases, completely wrong.

"New Orleans still remains—experience wise and statistically—a safe place to visit," Lieber said. "Despite what the media reports, there is no truth to the rumors about curfews. What the media fails to report is that crime predominantly is drug and gang violence in neighborhoods that always have been hot spots for crime, not affecting popular tourist areas or visitors. HIMSS has worked with the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau since we made our decision more than a year ago to hold our conference in the city. Attendees at HIMSS will find increased patrols from the New Orleans Police Department and Quality of Life officers, enhancing the already safe record of popular tourist areas."

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