Comments on: HIMSS10: Party Like It’s 1999

By: Me

Me — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:41:47 +0000

I was at HIMSS 1999. Although there were less booths, there was a lot more spending on frivolous booth babes than I saw at HIMSS 2010. Remember Richard Simmons?

While less work focused than HIMSS 2009, this was a pretty good HIMSS in my opinion – except for that opening keynote commercial by Sprint…

By: Paraclete

Paraclete — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:33:00 +0000

HIMSS in many ways reminds me of the opening of the summer Olympics in China. It is a spectacle intended for the largest vendors to show their power and might with over the top booths, expansive exhibit floor square footage, extravagant entertainment – all designed to not only posture against their largest competitors – but to make clear to attendees that the only companies worth considering are large and powerful.

Obviously it works. There aren’t too many C-suite hospital execs who will turn down a $200 dinner or free limos with fear that their IT decisions are now adulterated. The ones that do should be applauded. Yes, there are many who attend HIMSS on a tight budget, but far too many that think nothing of staying in $250/night rooms at a meeting they’d never go to if out of their own pockets.

It would be really cool if these behemoth software companies would spend a little more attention creating great products and supporting the heck out of them.

By: economics

economics — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:56:29 +0000

The money people SPENT on entertainment went to pay the salaries and for goods of other people in other industries. Though the money was spent in ways the author does not like, it does not discount that it went to other people. If they did not spend that money, waiters, waitresses, and others would not have cash to spend themselves.

I am all for outrage if they took all the cash and burned it, or horded the cash not spending a dime.

One person’s waste is another person’s income.

By: Ganesha

Ganesha — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:02:17 +0000

The healthcare industry in the US has always been about money. You can look in the history books and see why the AMA started… degree’d dr.’s wanted to get rid of their competitors (apprentices, midwives and such who were administering healthcare just as effectively) and used a huge lobby approach to Congress. This is not capitalism based on profit for value… it is greed… and greed without human values. These are not people you want responsible for the health of citizens. So this has been a flawed market all along… and mortally unstable.

I thought HIMSS was just a confirmation of this reality. Certain vendors that have been profitizing from this system along with their hospital c-level and provider pals walked around with a superiority attitude as usual. This won’t stop anytime soon (or ever).

So the US govt. is finally going after healthcare. Oh snap. Citizens in a civilized society deserve care without them or the goverment going broke as they fill the pockets of the greedy. Duh.

The good news is that we, as technologists, now have a real calling for real contributions. You now won’t go broke offering great products to deaf ears. A better chance anyway. The reforms, incentives, policy penalties etc. are now contributing to the necessary market forces for innovation and entrepreneurship.

The ones who should make the big profits are YOU, the real innovators who create real value.

It’s a wonderful and exciting time! I’ll piss in the other punchbowl. But the innovation/entrepreneurial punchbowl? I spike it!

By: Jeff Brandt

Jeff Brandt — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:14:36 +0000

It is interesting how so many view healthcare in the US. It is a business! Vendor are running businesses. The “Not for profit” IRS status is what confuses people. Just because you don’t have stockholder doesn’t mean there is no profit.

Compared to many show in different industries that I have been to. HIMSS did a great job. HIMSS is also running a business.

Jeff