December 2015 Austin HIMSS Newsletter

Message from the President > >

Hello Chapter Members,

December has been an amazing month for the Austin HIMSS chapter. I have the privilege of announcing that our chapter was recently awarded 'Small Chapter of the Year' by HIMSS National! The chapter will be recognized at the annual HIMSS Conference Awards Gala in Las Vegas on March 3rd. This is the first time our chapter has won this award. It represents the hard work put forth by chapter volunteers in providing top quality educational and networking events. As evidenced by the quality of the speakers and number of attendees (both in-person and online) at our events, we are on a steep upward trajectory. We currently have 538 members in the chapter, an increase of 54 in the last two months alone. If you have found our chapter events informative and helpful I'd like to ask that you invite colleagues to join. There is no better way to plug into the healthcare IT community in Austin.

The December CIO panel was a huge success. The healthcare leaders on the panel provided incredible insight into the future of healthcare IT in central Texas and nationally. 74 people attended this event which is the best turnout we've had to-date. I hope to have the same turnout (or more) for our January 12th Lunch and Learn Event. The session is titled, "Health Information is the Key Nutrient Lacking for Ecosystem Transformation", and will feature Dr. Clay Johnston, Dean of the Dell Medical School. I'm very much looking forward to hearing his thoughts on how the Dell Medical School will transform the way clinicians are trained. This session is sponsored by Leidos. For more information and to register for this event, visit our website or Click Here.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2016.

All the best,

-Doug Burkott, FHIMSS

President, Austin HIMSS Chapter

2016 Education and Networking Events > >

Austin HIMSS January Lunch and Learn - January 12th

Click Here to register for this event.

2016 National HIMSS Conference & Exhibition - February 29 - March 4, 2016

Some of the industry's brightest minds in health IT have addressed monumental issues in health transformation and will be ready to share them with you at the Views from the Top series at HIMSS16. Listen to top thought leaders as they provide perspectives on key health IT topics:

Care Transformation

CMIO and CIO: Partners in Optimization and Transformation
How Future-Proof HIT Infrastructure Supports Data Sharing

Leadership

Clinical Informatics Leadership: A Profound Discussion
Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Lessons Learned for Aspiring Female Executives

Privacy & Security

Moving Targets: Assessing the Security of Mobile Devices in Healthcare

Innovation

Applying Cognitive Computing to Population Health
The Promise and the Possibilities of Personalized Medicine

HIMSS16 Texas Chapters Networking Reception

Y’all please join us to celebrate Texas Independence Day and for the 3rd Annual Texas HIMSS Chapters Networking Reception at HIMSS16. This ain’t our first rodeo, but will be our first time at the ROCKHOUSE!

Texas HIMSS Chapter members from the great state of Texas will gather at ROCKHOUSE – The Palazzo in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian on the second level to enjoy two hours of socializing with peers and meeting new folks while enjoying brews and light supper snacks.

SPACE IS LIMITED!

When: Wednesday, March 2, 2016 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM (PST) - Add to Calendar
Where: ROCKHOUSE – The Palazzo In the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian | Second Level - 3377 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 - View Map
To Register: Click Here

About Texas Independence Day

Texas Independence Day commemorates the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. This event marked Texas’ independence from Mexico. Sixty delegates from all over Texas signed the declaration. Its language in many ways parallels the 1776 Declaration of Independence of the United States, which is observed on Independence Day, also known as “the fourth of July”.

The Republic of Texas was annexed to the US by joint resolution of the US Congress nine years after the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed. The US Congress then admitted Texas as a constituent state of the Union on December 29, 1845. Texas Independence Day is an official holiday in Texas. Sam Houston Day is also observed on March 2, marking the birthday of the man who led the Texans to victory over Mexican troops at the battle of San Jacinto.

2016 Texas Regional HIMSS Conference - May 12-13, 2016

The 2016 Texas Regional HIMSS Conference will be held May 12-13, 2016 in Houston, Texas. This is our 8th year for this exciting conference that brings together over 700 health IT professionals, clinicians, executives and vendors from around the state of Texas that focus on new innovations, opportunities and progressive solutions to improve healthcare technology. Exceptional education, world-class speakers, cutting-edge health IT products and powerful networking opportunities are hallmarks of this Texas flavored conference.

Please use the on-line registration tool to reserve your spot today! You can pay online using all major debit/credit cards. All sponsorship options are first come first serve and are going fast! You can also review all the conference details at the event website (http://himssregional.com). Be sure to check out our FAQ section for answers to commonly asked questions.

Upcoming Austin HIMSS Chapter Lunch and Learn Events

2016

January

Session: Health Information is the Key Nutrient Lacking for Ecosystem Transformation

Presenter: Dr. Clay Johnston, Dean, UT Medical School in Austin

When: Tuesday, January 12^th

Ongoing Webinar Series - Texas Health and Human Services

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has an ongoing webinar series covering various quality improvement topics. It is complimentary and open to the public. Topic range from super-utilizer management to value-based payment reform. To get on the webinar invitation list, please email hpcs_quality@hhsc.state.tx.us. Webinar invitations you receive may also be forward to others with interest in the topic covered. A number of past web events may be found by accessing the HHSC Quality website at: http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/hhsc_projects/ECI/index.shtml and navigating to the topic sub-pages.

News and Announcements > >

Austin HIMSS Chapter Selected as the "HIMSS Chapter of the Year"!

HIMSS National announced the 2015 Award and Scholarship Recipients and we are thrilled to report that the Austin HIMSS Chapter has been named the "Chapter of the Year" in the small chapter category. This prestigious award is designed to recognize chapters who have connected in a meaningful way with health IT entities and initiatives in their geographic region. “HIMSS is proud to honor individuals that have done an excellent job of contributing to our mission of improving health through the use of information technology,” said JoAnn W. Klinedinst, MEd, CPHIMS, PMP, DES, FHIMSS, vice president, professional development, HIMSS North America. “Congratulations to all of the award and scholarship recipients for their achievement and for the use of skills to improve health and healthcare through the use of IT.”

All award and scholarship recipients will be honored at the HIMSS Awards Gala on Thursday, March 3, from 6:30-9:00p.m., during the 2016 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition on Feb 29-March 4 in Las Vegas at the Venetian – Palazzo – Sands Expo Center. We would like to thank the Austin HIMSS Chapter Board Members and other volunteers who served over the last year for their hard work, participation, support and dedication to our chapter. Congratulations to all who made this possible!

Austin HIMSS Holiday Happy Hour - Fun Times!

We would like to thank all who joined us for the Austin HIMSS Chapter Holiday Happy Hour on December 10th! We had an incredible turnout, making it one of our most successful networking events to date! We would also like to once again thank athenahealth for graciously hosting such a special and festive event. We look forward to our next happy hour in the New Year and hope to see you there!

Austin HIMSS Membership > >

Renew today! For as little as $30, you support a year's worth of educational programming and networking opportunities with our monthly Lunch an Learns, quarterly Happy Hours, and other special events like our annual CIO Forum with a local chapter membership. We also provide scholarships for Health IT education with your membership dollars. These are a few of the benefits of membership. Please join or renew today!

Sponsorship Opportunities > >

The Austin HIMSS Chapter has revamped its sponsorship program to give even more opportunities and visibility to our chapter sponsors. If you are not a sponsor, but are interested, please reach out to Shannon Vogel, our sponsor chair, to receive information or visit our website. Shannon can be reached at austin.sponsorship@himsschapter.org.

Austin HIMSS Chapter Website > >

For more information about the Austin Chapter of HIMSS and how to join, please visit: http://austin.himsschapter.org. We will continue to expand our online content to bring you the most up-to-date and relevant information. Don't forget to bookmark our site and visit our LinkedIn and Facebook sites! Also, look for communications and information on chapter activities from austin.communications@himsschapter.org.

For questions about Membership contact: austin.membership@himsschapter.org

For questions about Sponsorship opportunities contact: austin.sponsorship@himsschapter.org

We welcome feedback and suggestions!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN OUR CHAPTER!