2001 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition

HIMSS Expanding Annual Conference to Provide

Industry Members With More Education and Practical Tools

CHICAGO, IL --The 2001 Annual HIMSS Conference and Exhibition (February 4-8, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA) 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 nearly 800 exhibitors are expected to attend the five-day Conference co-sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), Center for Healthcare Information Management (CHIM), College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), Computer-Based Patient Record Institute, U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System, and Society for Health Systems of the Institute of Industrial Engineers.

Expanded/New Education Sessions

In addition to more than 175 education sessions with high-profile healthcare speakers discussing topics ranging from HIPPA and security to reengineering and performance improvement to IT infrastructure and systems implementation management, HIMSS has expanded educational programming to include:

• "Views from the Top," a new level of education offerings with well-known, dynamic leaders speaking on topics ranging from organizational change to technology to ROI to computer hacking and privacy.

• Business-to-Business Marketplace, an opportunity for vendors to coordinate their products and services to develop solutions for end users. The Marketplace, developed in collaboration with EC Media Group and Center for Healthcare Information Management (CHIM), also includes education sessions, a panel discussion with venture capitalists and Wall Street analysts, and more.

• Exhibit Floor Education Sessions where exhibitors will participate in a specially designed, non-commercial education program to offer practical, informative, education sessions on the exhibit floor.

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

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 former President General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and one of the U.S. Army’s technology pioneers, 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!"

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. Featured entertainers will be the Grammy award-winning Neville Brothers.

Additional 2001 Annual HIMSS Conference and Exhibition details can be found at the HIMSS Web site, www.himss.org. Attendees can plan ahead by using the interactive HIMSS Conference Planner (found on the Web site) which allows them to review education sessions for specific topics and create a comprehensive Conference schedule.

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 41 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.