Agile Life

I made a quick trip yesterday to Atlanta for the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference.  The sheer size of this conference is amazing.  I spent a good portion of the day at the interoperability showcase. There is a portion of the showcase that is dedicated to the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) and the federal open-source implementation of the NHIN Specifications, called CONNECT. NHIN and CONNECT grew from one small kiosk last year to forty stations this year that each demonstrate a use of NHIN and/or CONNECT that is in production or planned for production.  This is a solid indicator that healthcare interoperability is taking root in the USA. I feel honored to be part of something this important that is transforming healthcare and can positively impact the lives of people in America and the world. I also had the honor of escorting Gov. Jeb Bush through select portions of the showcase. He is interested in and excited about what we are doing.

I have a lot going on this year, and I almost decided not to attend HIMSS. However, I’m glad I made the time. Seeing the energy and enthusiasm of all of these dedicated professionals who are trying to really make a difference in people’s lives was inspiring!