Page 10 - February 2017

When It Comes To Patient Care, HIMSS17 – Where the Brightest

Live the Values Minds in Health and IT Meet

The 2017 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition comes to South Florida in Orlando
You want to get excited? Maybe even a little from Feb. 19-23 at the Orange County Convention Center. Here – healthcare
fired up? Do a quick Google search on ‘Health providers, physicians, nurses, hospital executives, health IT professionals - and any-
System Values’. You will get a list of Health one interested in improving health with the best use of IT - come together for these
Systems from all around the country and links five days to be part of more 350 education sessions, 1,200+ exhibitors and numerous
to their Mission Statements, Vision and Values. networking events.
Click on any of them and you will be impressed. “Working together, we can improve lives of people everywhere and realize the
They speak of things like compassion, care, vision of a transformed health system,” said Carla Smith, MA, FHIMSS, CNM, exec-
quality, safety, service, integrity and teamwork. utive vice president, HIMSS. “HIMSS17 offers education, exhibition and networking
The visions and values of these organizations opportunities so that more than 40,000 attendees are ready to positively transform
always seem to be elements teams can easily health and healthcare with the best use of IT. Our attendees are at the core of the
rally around. HIMSS Annual Conference, supported not only by HIMSS, but by thousands of col-
And, if they are taught and reinforced correct- leagues across the globe.”
ly, it is amazing how powerful a force they pro- Here are some highlights of the conference.
vide in creating a strong identity and passionate Education: When it comes to education at HIMSS17, attendees will find valuable
culture. That identity and culture always seems BY JAY JUFFRE sessions in both specialty and general education. Preconference symposia and work-
to translate into a remarkable environment espe- shops, daylong forums or programs cover relevant topics. On Sunday, Feb. 19,
cially when it comes to patient care. Hopefully your organization has lofty val- HIMSS17 presents 10 symposia with four new topics:
ues that are guiding your team’s approach. • Precision medicine
Quick gut check – how well is your team really living them? Are they truly • Learning health system
“walking the talk” or are the values just something on the wall that someone in • Population health
marketing put together years ago? How well are you and your leadership team • Medical device security
reinforcing them on a daily and weekly basis? When it comes to patient care, (A separate fee and registration are required for symposia and workshop pro-
try not to simply live the values, lead with them. Take the time to constantly grams.)
reinforce your vision and values whenever you can. Start every single meeting, In addition, special sessions during HIMSS17 focus on how the new
orientation, debrief, training session and huddle with dialogue around the val- Administration will impact health and health IT, with more on overall public policy
ues. Share stories where employees have demonstrated the values. topics, such as Medicare, Medicaid, MACRA, Congressional action and more.
Whenever I visit leading healthcare providers, I am always impressed at how Job Seekers and Employers: Designed for both job seekers and employers, the
real the values are. You can actually feel and see them in action around you. Career Institute (Tuesday, Feb. 21, 10:00 – 5:00 pm, at the Hyatt Regency Orlando)
From the people that greet you at reception to the entire staff, they all seem to offers a day of information sharing and interaction with resume critiques, profession-
“get it”. When someone asks me how to build a great culture dedicated to al photos, and more.
patient care, I always say, “start with the values.” Get excellent at making your Exhibition: The HIMSS17 Exhibition floor is the place to find IT product and serv-
Mission, Vision and Values real and the rest always seems to fall in line.
ice innovations to meet the needs of healthcare providers at any level of health IT
implementation. From disruptive technologies to the latest IT solutions, the exhibi-
Jay Juffre is Regional Vice President, South East Region / National Service Director, tion floor offers attendees valuable time to engage in one-on-one discussions with
ImageFIRST. For more information on ImageFIRST, representatives of exhibiting companies. Visit the HIMSS17 Exhibition floor on
call 1-800-932-7472 or visit www.imagefirst.com.
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.”

Register for HIMSS17: Take time to mingle with peers and professionals at HIMSS17.
Find out more about the conference, and then, register today at
www.himssconference.org.

10 February 2017 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News