Recent ACPE collaboration with HIMSS

There's no question that information technology issues are playing an increasingly larger role in the jobs of all physician leaders. In light of this, ACPE teamed up for the first time this year with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, which recently held its annual convention and exhibition in Orlando, Florida. All ACPE members were offered complimentary registration for the convention so they could participate in HIMSS' first-ever physician executive forum. About 100 ACPE members took advantage of the offer, including ACPE Board Member Michael Bakerman, MD, FACC, MMM, CPE, FACPE, Chief Medical Information Officer at UMass Memorial Health Care.

Bakerman said there's value in visiting the more than 900 vendors that exhibit at HIMSS.

“You get a sense where the technology is moving to," he said. "They’re showing you new models, new demos. You see the possible applications of the technology.”



Bakerman said he took away three very clear messages from his visit to the conference:

• Meaningful Use is a reality. Most organizations are very aware of these Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs requirements and are working toward meeting the government deadlines.
• Interoperability continues to be a major sticking point in health care information technology. Despite the recognition of this problem, systems still don't talk to one another very well. Finding a solution will be a major focus for the next few years.
• Mobile devices are the next big thing. Many of the vendors at HIMSS were developing portable devices aimed at physicians and health care.

Bakerman, the leader of ACPE's Information Technology Task Force, said he was pleased to see the partnership between ACPE and HIMSS and hoped there would be more collaboration between the organizations in the future.

“There’s a natural synergy between those two organizations and the emerging dynamics in the marketplace," he said. "Physicians are going to have to adopt these new systems. They’re going to have to learn how to strategize to get adoption, to prioritize and to learn skills in IT."