Welcome to the November HIMSS Virtual Conference & Expo. With the deadline for meeting Meaningful Use Stage 1 criteria coming up in 2011, it’s timely and fitting that the educational program focus on “Improving Health and Healthcare Through Meaningful Use of Health IT.”
The two educational tracks – “Health Information Exchanges: Facilitating the Adoption of Health IT” and “Fundamentals of Achieving Meaningful Use: Real-World Approaches” – were developed from 90 proposals worldwide.
There are several new features of the HIMSS Virtual Conference & Expo.
Attendees will be invited to chats, moderated by HIMSS content experts, in the Networking Lounge following the conclusion of three selected education sessions. “These chats give attendees an opportunity to communicate directly with the speakers who will be participating in the chats outside of the education session environment,” said Adam Bazer, manager of distance education, HIMSS.
“Recruiting for Excellence: One REC’s Experience,” Education Session 2, on Wednesday at 10:00-11:00 AM CST, will be the first of three education sessions to feature a moderated chat. Beth Schindele, project director for Quality Insights of Delaware, will discuss how the Delaware Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center built a program of excellence in recruiting and maintaining health IT talent.
The next featured session is “Medicaid EHR Incentive Program,” Education Session 7, on Wednesday at 1:00-2:00 PM CST. Jessica Kahn, technical director for Health IT for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will give attendees an update on the status of the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.
Finally, on Thursday at 10:30-11:30 AM CST, Amy Cueva, CEO and co-founder of Mad*Pow, will present Education Session 19, “Communities of Care: Promoting Healthy Change Through Social Media.” Cueva will present a model for using technology to promote engagement and drive behavioral changes for better health by giving consumers the right information and resources at the right time.
Also new is the expanded evening education hours, which provides attendees greater flexibility to attend education programming. Four education sessions will be offered Wednesday evening.
“The Virtues of an Opt-Out Consent Model for an HIE,” Education Session 12, at 6:00-7:00 PM CST, will be presented by Anna Daly, HIE Coordinator for ICA. Daly will discuss the value of an opt-out consent model, which will enable the delivery of quality data to healthcare providers when they need it.
Also at 6:00-7:00 PM CST is Education Session 13, “Improve Quality and Achieve Clinical Workflow: Get CPOE Right the First Time.” Susan Abookire, MD, chairwoman of Mount Auburn Hospital’s Department of Quality and Patient Safety, and Jeannette Currie, assistant IT director and CPOE project manager for Mount Auburn Hospital, will share lessons learned in their successful implementation of CPOE at their 200-bed Harvard teaching hospital.
“Achieving Meaningful Use: A Look at HIMSS Davies Winners,” Education Session 14, will be presented at 7:00-8:00 PM CST. Tim D. Barker, MD, CMO of Heart of Texas Community Health Center, and Robert Lamberts, MD, of Evans Medical Group PC, will discuss their award-winning efforts in their EHR implementation from the ambulatory side.
Finally, also at 7:00-8:00 PM CST, Paul Kleeberg, MD, clinical director of Stratus Health, and Phil Deering, regional coordinator of Key Health Alliance, will present Education Session 15, “From Paper to Meaningful Use in 12 Month or Less.” Kleeberg and Deering will show how the Regional Extension Assistance Center for HIT (REACH), the REC for Minnesota and North Dakota, move clients from paper processes to meaningful use.
If you miss an education session, don’t despair. Registrants will still have on-demand access to the conference for 90 days post conference.
Lastly, take part in the iPad Contest. Attendees can accrue prize points for participating in different activities. If you attend Day One, you can rack up 50 points. Visiting a booth for the first time gives you 10 points. If you initiate a chat with an exhibitor, you’ll get 75 points. “The whole process is completely automatic, so you don’t need to worry about anything,” said Mary Beth Micucci, director of distance education for HIMSS. “The more you earn, the better your chances of winning an iPad.”
