On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to personally welcome you to the Midwest Gateway Chapter (MGC) of the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) web site. Our Mission is to lead change in the healthcare information and management systems field through knowledge sharing, advocacy, collaboration, innovation, and community affiliations.
As healthcare and technology professionals, I hope you are as excited as I am about working in this field at this time. The opportunities presented by the HITECH Act will allow us to apply our talent and energy in ways that have never before been possible. It will also challenge us to manage change in a way that many of us have never before faced. While all of this may seem daunting, know that you are not in it by yourself. It is just this type of opportunity and challenge that HIMSS is designed to address.
The national office and your local chapter are working diligently towards developing the educational, advocacy and networking opportunities that will meet your requirements. Here are just a few of our GOALS for the 2010 fiscal year:
• Expand the number of committees that support Chapter activities
• Schedule educational programs that are timely, relevant and action oriented
• Develop and maintain appropriate relationships with other organizations concerned with the improvement of information and management systems
• Support local and state government representatives in understanding the issues and challenges presented in new and pending legislation
• Expand the student mentoring and scholarship program
• Develop more involvement and support from our vendor community and
• Share the exciting events and activities of our chapter with our members and interested parties through the MGC website, newsletters and e-mails.
In order to achieve the best possible outcome from these efforts we will need to work collaboratively amongst all stakeholders. On an individual basis, this means we may ask for your input, feedback and a little of your time. The reward for this effort will be significant.
Think about the contribution to major healthcare challenges like access, quality and cost when we fulfill the vision of the HITECH act. Imagine the contribution to our country and industry if we can get a majority of providers using electronic healthcare records, reporting quality data, and connected to a health information exchange. Further, imagine if we can support the evolution to seeing a majority of Americans using personal health records, bringing consumer awareness to the purchase decision and wanting to take more responsibility for their own health. I believe we have what may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of our fellow Americans.
We look forward to your continued support of our local chapter and invite you to become more involved by spreading the mission and goals of our chapter with your friends and colleagues. If you know someone that might be interested in joining HIMSS, please direct them to: HIMSS Membership
SPONSORS are needed for events. Please contact myself or any of the board members listed on the website, if you are interested.
Be sure to visit the chapter’s website often for educational resources and a listing of programs and events.
Regards,
Tom
Thomas Flanigan, MHA. MIM, CPHIMS
President
Midwest Gateway Chapter HIMSS
|
© Copyright Healthcare Information and
Management Systems Society
|
