Spring 2018 Newsletter

Message from the Board

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!

We hope that 2018 has gotten off to a great start. The Board is back at it, and hard at work for the second half of our fiscal year.

We started 2018 on a positive note with our sixth annual Innovation Conference and Showcase at the Intel Auditorium in Santa Clara on February 1 that brought in over 200 attendees. Check out the recap in the newsletter below.

Looking forward, we have an incredible lineup of events still to come, which includes our ePatient Summit on May 3 and State HIT Day on May 16. Our committees are tirelessly working to bring to you the best possible programs, and part of being able to do that lies within our Sponsorship. We’d like to thank our Annual Sponsors for their committed contributions to our chapter, because without them, we would not be able to continue to take our events to the next level.

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AI and Precision Medicine Top This Year’s Innovation Conference and Showcase

By Lauren Mock, Innovation Committee Chair

With over 200 in attendance, our sixth Innovation Conference and Showcase at the Intel Auditorium in Santa Clara was a tremendous success. A stellar array of thought leaders explored how topics such as Artificial Intelligence and Precision Medicine are maturing and their impact on patient care, and how the advancements made by technology leaders in non-healthcare industries can positively impact the healthcare ecosystem.

This year’s conference addressed four main topics:

  • Precision Medicine - the challenges and opportunities of shifting from a one size fit all approach to personalized treatments.
  • Artificial Intelligence - will the hype live up to the expectations?
  • Public and Private Partnerships - examples of public and private entities joining forces in the name of innovation.
  • Beyond Healthcare - what lessons on innovation can healthcare gain from other industries?

Our keynotes and panels presented perspectives from inside and outside healthcare on how innovative thinking can be applied to clinical and consumer workflows, and to healthcare delivery systems.

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Networking Reception at HIMSS National with the Northern California Chapter

What a conference! We had such a great time with all of you who came to our annual Networking Reception at HIMSS National in Las Vegas.

Like with previous years, this event quickly sold out. We had over 100 attendees and enjoyed seeing familiar faces from Northern California, but we quickly made new friendships with attendees from across the US and the UK over appetizers and drinks.

Huge thank you to NTT DATA for helping with the festivities! We hope to see you again next year!


HIMSS NorCal is on LinkedIn and Twitter!

By Maital S. Rasmussen, Marketing Committee Chair

Please follow HIMSS NorCal on LinkedIn to stay informed of the latest updates from the chapter. You can access our profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/norcalhimss

Don’t forget to join our HIMSS NorCal LinkedIn group, which is a discussion forum for our Chapter community members on healthcare topics such as Digital Health and Health IT. You can join the conversation here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1837211

We’re also on Twitter! Follow us here: https://twitter.com/himssnorcal


Health IT Advocacy Updates

By Shanti Wilson, Vice Chair, Western Region Advocacy, HIMSS NorCal Advocacy Chair

As the State legislature started session in early January, our joint HIMSS Northern and Southern California Advocacy team started monitoring Health IT legislation. Below are some of the bills the team is currently assessing for potential areas to focus on during our upcoming State HIT Day on May 16.

SB199 - Senator Ed Hernandez: Health Cost and Quality

  • Establishes advisory committee that includes reviewing IT to improve quality and reduce cost

AB1136 - Susan Eggman: Health Facilities/Residential/Mental Substance Use Disorder Treatment

  • CDPH to solicit a 21st century CURES act to collect and display information about mental health patients and treatment facilities, require a database to be created to collect and track data

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New! HIMSS NorCal Now Offers CMEs at Select Events Starting May 2018

By Cindy Zheng-Huang, Education Committee

Medical discoveries and methods of healthcare delivery are advancing rapidly, and medical practices are being impacted by these breakthroughs. Physicians, nurses, and clinical and health IT professionals are on an exciting and overwhelming stage with all the information available today. With the current state of healthcare, being informed of best practices with respect to new healthcare technology is critical to the continuing education of medical professionals so that these new approaches can be adopted to improve health outcomes.

Physicians must earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits to meet the requirements of state medical boards, medical specialty societies, specialty boards, hospital medical staff, the Joint Commission, insurance groups, etc. Likewise, earning Continuing Education Units (CEUs) is required for professionals like nurses with certificates or licenses. The quantity of required CME or CEU credits varies by state and specialty. To meet the requirements to earn CMEs or CEUs, all educational activities that a professional participates in need to be given by accredited providers.

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Agenda Highlights for the 2018 ePatient Summit

By Dr. Robert Wilkov, ePatient Summit Committee

We are proud to announce the 6th Annual ePatient Summit on May 3, 2018 in Robertson Hall at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center.

The ePatient Summit promises to be the largest and most exciting clinical event of the year. It focuses on the key challenges and solutions to engage patients across the continuum of care, a key element of the IHI Triple Aim framework. 

Who should attend? Physicians, Nurses, CxOs, Clinical Informatics, IT Professionals, Health Innovation Leadership, Care Coordination Managers, Entrepreneurs and anyone passionate about improving the delivery of care are welcome.

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HIMSS 2018 Chapter Challenge Winners

Please join us in celebrating our recognition by HIMSS National for having the highest count of registered members in the Western Region!

Eastern Chapter — Highest Count of Registered Members — New England

Western Chapter — Highest Count of Registered Members — Northern California

Eastern Chapter — Highest Percentage of Registered Members — Puerto Rico

Western Chapter — Highest Percentage of Registered Members — Nevada

We thank you for your continued efforts to optimize health engagements and care outcomes through information and technology with the HIMSS Northern California Chapter.


Join us for California State HIT Day!

The Northern California and Southern California Chapters of HIMSS are pleased to invite you to their annual State HIT Day on May 16, 2018 in Sacramento at the RCRC (Rural County Representative of California) Building; 1215 K Street. This is your annual opportunity to hear about Health IT policies affecting you and go to the Capitol to speak with your representatives to impact current state legislation. After the educational sessions provide a common foundation, we will visit legislative offices to pass on this education and inform our representatives. We look forward to seeing you there. The day will feature:

  • National policy updates
  • State legislative updates
  • HIT industry updates on topics such as: Telehealth, Privacy and Security and Health Reform
  • State Capitol legislative visits

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Get Involved with the Chapter!

Want to help plan one of our annual programs or join a committee? Volunteering for our fabulous events or getting involved with program planning, communications and sponsorship are great ways to expand your professional network and advance your career. It's fun, too!

Contact: norcal.membership@himsschapter.org