Do you ever feel like you live in a bubble?  You go to work everyday and work on the same software and applications and forget to look what’s going on around you in other settings?  I sometimes don’t even realize what is going on in the world of technology and what other resources are out there.  Some times you just have to “look up.” 

I had the fortunate experience to “look up” recently at the Annual HIMSS11 meeting in Orlando Florida this past February.  This was my first meeting at HIMSS and I have to be honest I was very overwhelmed with all it had to offer, with approximately 31,000 attendees and over 300 educational sessions to pick from. 

The vendors (exhibitors) were in a room over 2 football fields long, so you can imagine how many days it took to see all the new products, software, and applications that were being presented.  The interoperability showcase (a demo of how we can and will exchange health information)  was amazing; I was like a kid in a candy shop with all of the new capabilities that were being developed, in the testing phases or already being used out in the world today. 

I think my favorite part of the meeting was networking and talking with all kinds of people in different technology roles and settings.  It is very eye-opening to see what others do in the world of health informatics.  This experience has brought me out of my bubble, thank you ADA and the Nutrition Informatics Committee for sending me to HIMSS11. 

There are many benefits of becoming a member as an individual or forming a corporate partnership with HIMSS.  Individual membership is only $140 which is very reasonable considering all HIMSS has to offer.

To learn more about HIMSS visit there website at www.himss.org   

Don’t be left in the bubble! 

 Amy Miller, RD, CDN, RAC-CT

Clinical Informaticist

United Methodist Homes

amiller@umhwc.org