I haven’t been to a national HIMSS conference since 2019. We all remember how the early days of the pandemic led to a last minute cancelled HIMSS20. Since then, there has been a multi-year transition in the conference approach. It was back to what appeared to be a pre-pandemic level of attendance at HIMSS24 this week. I sat it out again this year but watched from afar on social media.

On social media I saw the key vendor announcements, session highlights, and got a glimpse of the oh so valuable in person networking as many people shared pictures of reconnecting with one another.

Bill Russell’s This Week Health Newsday episode on March 8 – “HIMSS , Yes or No?” – asked are you going to HIMSS, should you be going? He aptly named national conferences like HIMSS as “carnival” type events. With over 1,000 vendors exhibiting at HIMSS, the description fits. But, if you are looking to meet with your vendors or research new vendors to solve real problems, the exhibit hall was the place to be. He also refers to “relationship” events – smaller conferences and events where there is an emphasis on the peer-to-peer connection we all value. That’s where I am putting my focus given my current work.

At any conference, networking is key. There are benefits to you and your organization as you build relationships and learn from your peers. It is not just about your own career journey which is often what people think about networking. In the past four years we’ve become accustomed to virtual connections and events, but I agree that there is nothing like in-person events for networking and renewing relationships.

Did I have FOMO this week? Maybe a little. But am I continuing to build new and nurture old relationships with colleagues and clients every day? Yes.

I look forward to reading the HIMSS24 recaps in industry publications and from attendees on their social media accounts to learn even more. Here are a few to start:

• Becker’s Health IT – The buzz at HIMSS ’24? 6 takeaways highlights that AI was the dominant topic with hospital at home and cybersecurity also getting plenty of attention.
• Hannah Ellerbee, Director at Guidehouse, posted her recap on LinkedIn highlighting AI, cybersecurity, and the evolving EHR. I was glad to see her call out the spotlight on women in health IT with special sessions for women that highlighted leadership, equity, and progress in our industry.
• The title of this HealthCare IT News article says it all – “A Gartner expert points to AI and hospital-at-home as the biggest emerging technologies at HIMSS24“.
• Bill’s podcast today – “HIMSS 24 Takeaways” – pretty much reinforced the dominance of AI this year and reinforced the need to have a “conference strategy”. What do you attend, what do you have your leaders attend – comparing HIMSS and ViVE while noting the unique value of each of them.

These are exciting yet challenging times to be in healthcare as we work to advance technology that makes a positive difference for our patients, their families, and staff.