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2001 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition
HIMSS Expanding Annual Conference to Give Industry Members More Education and Practical Tools

CHICAGO -- August 2000 -- The 2001 Annual HIMSS Conference and Exhibition (February 4-8, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans) is specifically designed and expanded to provide healthcare industry professionals with more education, information, and practical tools than ever before.

"With increasing government regulations, industry information and technology mandates, and enormous system challenges, it's imperative our industry expand and leverage our knowledge," says Walter R. Menning, Vice Chair, Information Services, Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN, and Chair of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Board of Directors. "The New Orleans Conference will definitely help meet those challenges."

"This annual meeting is unique in that it brings healthcare professionals in management and technology together with providers, vendors, consultants, and payors in an exciting, synergistic environment," says Menning. "It is the meeting where our industry can find high-quality, relevant answers and solutions, and learn from leading experts."

More than 17,000 healthcare IT professionals and 725 exhibitors are expected to attend the five-day conference co-sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association, the Center for Healthcare Information Management, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, the Computer-Based Patient Record Institute, the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System, and the Society for Health Systems of the Institute of Industrial Engineers.

Expanded/New Education Sessions

In addition to more than 175 education sessions on topics ranging from reengineering and performance improvement to IT infrastructure and systems implementation management, HIMSS has expanded educational programming to include:

• Exhibit Floor Education Sessions: Exhibitors will participate in a specially designed educational program to offer practical, informative, educational sessions on the exhibit floor. These will be non-commercial sessions that draw on the wealth of knowledge in the vendor community. They will offer continuing education credit.
• "Views from the Top:" A new level of educational offerings with well-known, dynamic leaders speaking on topics ranging from organizational behavior change to technology, to ROI, to computer hacking and privacy.

IHE - Year Two

HIMSS 2001 also showcases Year Two of the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) initiative, including demonstrations on broader access to images and reports throughout the enterprise, image presentation consistency, reconciliation of unknown patient data, and other workflow enhancements and transactions. The IHE initiative is co-sponsored by HIMSS and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Keynote speakers include General Wesley K. Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, best-selling author and futurist Tom Peters, and Beck Weathers, MD.

Gen. Clark, the nation's most highly decorated military officer since General Dwight D. Eisenhower, will discuss "Strategic Leadership in the Information Age."

Peters, "the guru of management," will present his unconventional approach to the importance of work and innovation. Dr. Weathers, left for dead on a slope of Mt. Everest, will tell of his adventures, struggle against the forces of nature, and the triumph of the human spirit.

Chip Madera, Dynamic Communications, Inc., will lead an interactive professional development and career planning workshop titled, "BAAAMM!!! How to Take Your Career Up a Notch!" Participants can discover their career passions, purpose, and potential.

Leadership Survey

The 12th Annual HIMSS Leadership Survey will also be featured at HIMSS 2001. Designed to collect data and track opinions of top-level healthcare decision-makers on issues of priority and concern in healthcare IT, the survey will be available for completion onsite and online.

Tours/Entertainment

This year's featured health facility tour will be Ochsner Foundation Hospital's new Critical Care Tower, a state-of-the-art facility housing the Emergency, Intensive Care Unit, and Surgery departments. Tour participants will see the latest in healthcare technology, including digital X-ray stations, wireless patient registration, electronic "grease boards," and electronic medical record systems.

And, to truly experience the tastes, sounds, and excitement of New Orleans, attendees can spend an evening at Mardi Gras World, home of the floats, carnival creations, and gigantic papier-mâché characters for the Mardi Gras parade. The Grammy award-winning Neville Brothers will be the featured entertainment.

Additional HIMSS 2001 details can be found at the HIMSS Web site, www.himss.org. Attendees can plan ahead by using the interactive HIMSS Conference Planner on the Web site beginning October 1, 2000. The planner allows attendees to review education sessions for specific topics and create a comprehensive schedule for HIMSS 2001.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society provides leadership in healthcare for the management of technology, information, and change through publications, educational opportunities, and member services. HIMSS has more than 43 chapters and more than 12,000 members working in healthcare organizations throughout the world. Members include healthcare professionals in hospitals, corporate healthcare systems, clinical practice groups, vendor organizations, healthcare consulting firms, and government settings in professional levels ranging from senior staff to CIOs and CEOs.