15 Apr HIMSS 09 Bucks the Economic Trend: Attendance Remains Strong
An estimated 27,500 health IT professionals from around the globe came together in Chicago last week to experience the 2009 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition.
“We attribute this year’s strong attendance to a combination of employment growth in the healthcare sector, the $19.2 billion designated for health IT in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Chicago’s central location and the unparalleled educational programming and networking opportunities we offer,” said H. Stephen Lieber, CAE, President & CEO of HIMSS. “Year after year, the HIMSS Conference & Exhibition allows hospitals and physician practices to explore and interact with electronic medical record applications and other IT solutions and equips them with the knowledge to use these products in meaningful ways. Now more than ever, providers are realizing the value of an electronic healthcare system and are moving towards implementing these technologies.”
HIMSS09 featured more than 900 exhibiting companies—from Fortune 500s to start-ups—showcasing the latest healthcare innovations. Attendees could choose from more than 300 education sessions, including 11 that addressed the health IT provisions in the ARRA.
A recognized lineup of keynote speakers—including Dennis Quaid, award-winning actor and director and president of the Quaid Foundation for Patient Safety, George C. Halvorson, Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve and Jerry M. Linenger, MD, NASA Astronaut – addressed patient safety, healthcare costs, and privacy and security.
The next HIMSS Conference & Exhibition will be March 1–4, 2010, in Atlanta.