The HIMSS21 Global Health Conference & Exhibition was held August 9th through August 13th in Las Vegas, Nevada. As we all know, HIMSS20 was cancelled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Orlando, Florida. HIMSS21, while an undisputed success, was a very different HIMSS.
Addressing COVID-19
As the month of August approached, the US experienced increased cases of the Delta variant of COVID corresponding with an increase in hospitalizations. In July Nevada, a state lagging in vaccinations, experienced a surge in Delta cases, at one point accounting for half the cases in the United States. This led to a quandary for HIMSS- would the conference be held on site or be shifted to a full digital experience as in 2020. Ultimately HIMSS bravely moved forward with the onsite component of the conference moving beyond initial requirements for attendees to be vaccinated, and initiating a mask requirement which would later be mandated by the governor of Nevada for all indoor activities.
Putting on a Show
To the naked eyes HIMSS21 was definitely different- several larger vendors such as Cerner and Cisco decided to pull back their onsite presence. Others such as Amazon chose to reduce the footprint of their booths. Ultimately it meant a smaller Exhibit Hall, but also a more accessible one. Attendance at the conference was about a third of the normal crowds of over 45,000, however an immediate benefit emerged. IT WAS NO LONGER OVERWHELMING!! For those who have attended previous HIMSS conferences it’s often a competition to see who can record the most steps. The sheer size of the conference can make it an intimidating experience for many. HIMSS21 was accessible, it was intimate. There was education, networking, entertainment and for those with sufficient courage there was gambling. And most importantly, the HIMSS team did an excellent job creating a safe environment as there appeared to be barely any positive COVID cases coming out of the show.
Content
One of the primary reasons for attending HIMSS is the education- we all crave the opportunity to learn from others and to be able to implement best practices. HIMSS21 kicked off with a special tribute to frontline workers from Patrick Demsey and went on to demonstrate how innovation and workflow can change. If there’s a silver cloud to the pandemic, it’s that it’s driven innovation and accelerated our ability to develop solutions to emerging challenges. Digital Health was another big player at HIMSS as healthcare has been pressured to implement virtual care and improve a patient’s ability to access an organization’s digital front door. Patient engagement, health equity, mental health, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and public health were all common themes at the conference along with cybersecurity in the wake of multiple ransomware attacks.
The past year and a half has been challenging for everyone. Isolation and fear for our health have impacted our communities, increasing the focus on managing mental health. Rainn Wilson, known to many of us as Dwight Shrute from the hit TV show “The Office”, co-founded SoulPancake with Shabnam Mogharabi. Rainn and Shabnam brought an uplifting message of gratitude to HIMSS21. “Grateful people go to the doctor less, and live longer. It’s absolutely a super power,” Wilson told a full house. They shared the practice of Positive Psychology which says that searching for happiness directly generally doesn’t work. Instead it’s joy that makes people happy through service, gratitude, vulnerability and knowing that it’s okay to not be okay.
HIMSS2022
Many eyes were on HIMSS21 as it brought the largest healthcare technology conference to a city at capacity and a city coping with a surge in COVID cases. The ultimate message was one of guarded optimism on the state of the pandemic. Though cases are surging we have more knowledge and we have access to a vaccine. As HIMSS 2022 rolls around in March next year we expect to build upon the momentum of this year.
