What a summer, what a year!

Year in Review from Immediate Past President, Dara Barrera

 There has been a lot said about the last year.  The words unprecedented,   unbelievable, and shocking were used more than I have ever heard in my   life. We all faced changes that we never have before and are still trying to   find a “new normal”.  But in all this turmoil, so many found a way forward   to not only make things work in the moment, but to improve things for the future.  The huge steps forward with telehealth, remote monitoring and other technology adoption hit its highest levels ever. Working from home was found to be not only possible but is how things will stay for many of us on a more permanent basis. 

As a chapter, we have adjusted to the times as well.  Unable to hold in person events, we transitioned to webinars, built out our social media presence, and started a YouTube channel. We have added new board members, built out our committees, and strengthened our advocacy team. I am pleased to say that MiHIMSS is working with the Michigan HIT Commission on the creation of the new HIT Road Map and will be there to support work going forward for the state.

It has been my honor to be the President of the Michigan Chapter of HIMSS for the last two years.  Certainly not the term I anticipated, but with so many positive changes, I am proud to look back and see how far we have come as a group.  Thank you to my fellow board members who worked so hard to make things happen, and to our membership for your continued support.  I am excited to see where things go from here and look forward seeing everyone in person soon!

HIMSS 2021 National Conference Recap

The HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition took place in Las Vegas from August 9-13 this month, convening professionals throughout the global health ecosystem for education, education, and collaboration. Michigan Chapter members took advantage of both the in-person and digital conference options. After not being able to get together in 2020 for this event, it was great for everyone to be able to see each other again.

After a long day of conference sessions and exhibit hall tours, the Michigan Chapter and our sponsor Seal Shield hosted a reception for members, friends, and colleagues to relax with a beverage, snack, and conversation (below, left). The Michigan Chapter Board also had the chance got together for a dinner at Buca di Beppo during the week (below, right)!

In the News

Micky Tripathi Outlines ONC’s Top Policy Priorities at HIMSS21

Tripathi’s top five stated priorities include: continuing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic; renewing an emphasis on fulfilling the CURES Act; EHR adoption and optimization; health equity; and policy alignment among all the relevant agencies within the federal government. He also identified key areas on which the CDC and ONC are working together to meet shared goals. Read more here.

ONC Develops Health IT Protocol for Care Coordination, Interoperability

ONC is working with health IT stakeholders to develop two new health IT protocols to support greater interoperability for enhanced care coordination through its 360X project. The project currently has two IHE-balloted profiles for transitions of care use cases: ambulatory referrals and acute/ambulatory transfers to skilled nursing facilities, as well as a social determinants of health (SDOH) needs-based use case. Read more here.

ONC Grants Funding for SDOH, Interoperability Projects

The ONC has awarded the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) and DARTNet Institute Leading Edge Acceleration Project (LEAP) funding for their interoperability projects that aim to enhance social determinants of health (SDOH) data exchange and promote EHR optimization for clinical research capabilities. Read more here.

Join Us on Accelerate

We are excited to invite you to join Accelerate, the purpose-built digital platform from HIMSS driving 365 healthcare transformation. Sign up now at www.youraccelerate.com for immediate access to your own, personalized view of the global health ecosystem – anytime, anywhere. Use Code CHMI when signing up as a Michigan member.

• Get customized content from Accelerate’s powerful global professional network 24/7
• Personalize your news feed: stay informed with curated, up-to-date insights from peers
and thought leaders, stories from trusted media and upcoming events
• Optimize your profile: share your experience, education, credentials and more with your peers
• Explore your space: join groups that match your interests and expand your connections, and discover education and career services to help you grow professionally

Upcoming Events and Webinars

• September 10 and 17: ONC Technical Forum (Virtual). Find out more and register here.
• September 15: ONC Webinar, Training Data for Machine Learning to Enhance Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Data Infrastructure Project. Find out more and register here.
• October 7, 9am-1pm: 2021 Connecting Michigan for Health and More, The Future of Electronic Consent Workshop. Find out more and register here.
• November 9, 8am-3:45pm: 2021 Connecting Michigan for Health and More, Summary of Healthcare Technology 3.0 – Exploring the New Paradigm. View the working agenda here.  

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Chapter Sponsors

We would like to thank our Chapter Sponsors who make our events and efforts possible through their generous support. For any questions or information about Sponsorship opportunities, contact Mr. Dan Boyle. DBoyle@uphp.com.