Making the Business Case: Why Your Boss Should Send You to HIMSS25

Attendee Blogs

Making the Business Case: Why Your Boss Should Send You to HIMSS25

The ROI of Attendance

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare technology landscape, staying ahead of the curve isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity. While attending HIMSS25 might seem like a significant investment, the returns it offers are an invaluable opportunity for both individual professionals and their organizations. Here’s how to build a compelling case for your attendance:

Immediate Knowledge Transfer

Your attendance at HIMSS25 translates directly into actionable insights for your organization. With over 600 educational sessions, you’ll gain:

  • Strategic insights from industry leaders tackling similar challenges
  • Practical solutions to current operational pain points
  • Best practices that can be implemented immediately upon return

Cost-Effective Problem Solving

Consider this: resolving a single operational challenge through HIMSS25 insights could potentially save your organization more than the cost of attendance. You’ll have access to:

  • Direct conversations with vendors offering solutions to your specific challenges
  • Peer networking opportunities to learn how others solved similar problems
  • Expert consultations that would typically cost thousands in consulting fees

Competitive Advantage

In healthcare technology, being six months behind can mean being years behind in terms of capabilities. HIMSS25 offers:

  • Early insight into emerging trends
  • Direct access to innovative solutions before they become mainstream
  • Strategic partnership opportunities with leading exhibitors

Before the Conference

  1. Outline specific organizational challenges that HIMSS25 could help address
  2. Create a targeted agenda focusing on sessions and exhibitors aligned with your organization’s goals
  3. Identify key exhibitors you need to meet regarding current or planned projects

During the Conference

    1. Commit to daily briefings with your team about key learnings
    2. Schedule exhibitor meetings that could lead to immediate operational improvements
    3. Document best practices and innovative solutions for post-conference implementation

After the Conference

    1. Present a detailed report of actionable insights and recommendations
    2. Develop an implementation plan for at least three key learnings
    3. Share relevant materials with colleagues to multiply the conference’s value

The Bottom Line

HIMSS25 isn’t just another conference—it’s an investment in your organization’s future. The combination of educational sessions, networking opportunities, and access to cutting-edge solutions makes it an unparalleled opportunity to:

  • Find solutions to pressing challenges
  • Build valuable professional relationships
  • Bring back actionable insights for immediate implementation

When you consider the cost of falling behind in healthcare technology or missing crucial innovations that could improve patient care and operational efficiency, the value of HIMSS25 attendance becomes clear. It’s not just about professional development—it’s about bringing tangible value back to your organization.

Remember: In healthcare technology, standing still means falling behind. HIMSS25 ensures you’re moving forward. Use this Justification Letter Template to help bring you to HIMSS25!

Innovation and Integration: Highlights from the HIMSS Michigan Chapter 2024 Fall Conference

Attendee Blogs

Innovation and Integration: Highlights from the HIMSS Michigan Chapter 2024 Fall Conference

by Lee Marana
HIMSS Health IT Content Director

The HIMSS Michigan Chapter hosted its annual 2024 Fall Conference at Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Michigan, which began with preconference events on October 7th along with some attendees golfing the magnificent top-rated Treetops’ courses

The educational events included the Michigan Health Interoperability Virtual Environment (MiHIVE) Education Consortium and insightful cybersecurity sessions featuring State of Michigan Chief Security Officer (CSO) Jaysen Cavendish. There were also sessions on protecting healthcare data in the GenAI era and discussions and solutions on how to build a resilient cyber organization and workforce. The day concluded with a welcome reception, dinner, and networking. Some health IT professionals wanted to keep the conversations going into the night, so they gathered around a campfire and were fortunate enough to have a clear evening, allowing them to enjoy the stunning Northern Lights.

The main conference started on Tuesday, October 8th with a keynote speech on the transformative potential of digital health in mental healthcare, followed by a relevant session on leveraging virtual reality (VR) to enhance therapeutic health outcomes. A panel discussion on AI followed, focusing on its vast opportunities in health data analytics, the risks of data exposure and bias, and responsible use.

The conference then featured a session on how drones are transforming the healthcare landscape and providing patients with access to resources. Updates were provided by the Michigan Health IT Commission and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) on their Health IT Roadmap, along with a panel discussing Community Information Exchange (CIE) and health equity initiatives. This aim is to ensure that all patients in all areas have access to the best possible care in the State. The next panel featured stakeholders in the Payer world, discussing the current pain points they face regarding data exchange and interoperability.

Discussions included the importance of seamless transitions from hospital to home and follow-up care, fragmented data sources and gaps with skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and leveraging community health workers (CHWs) with health information exchange longitudinal data. Updates were then presented from tribal health, Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN), MiHIVE, and the closing keynote focused on the patient experience in the age of AI.

Lee Marana holds a lollipop sign welcoming Lake Nona tour attendees
Lee Marana welcomes Lake Nona tour attendees at HIMSS24
Looking ahead to HIMSS25

The conference served as a preview and kickstart for HIMSS25’s Global Health Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas from March 3-6, where there will be a significant focus on technological advances in healthcare (including VR and AI), cybersecurity, workforce and professional development, health information exchange and interoperability, social determinants of health (SDOH) and health equity, and insurance and payer sessions focusing on data and interoperability to lower risk and improve health outcomes.