From HIMSS 2/28/10

From Zale: “Re: Eclipsys. I wonder if anyone at either Microsoft or Eclipsys knows that Bill Gates demoed an early version of Sunrise Clinical Manager at HIMSS in 1995?”

From Sheri: “Re: clinicians and IT people. But if you combine the best of both worlds – the experienced Clinical Analyst — you get a great opinion. Clinicians don’t know what they don’t know about IT. Experienced clinical analysts have one foot in both worlds and can make really good decisions about the solutions that will work for the clinicians. You just have to hire the right people and get out of the way.” Sometimes, as long as the analyst remembers that as soon as they cross the dark side to IT, they need to consult the still-practicing clinicians before making decisions. Most of the ones I know are excellent, but a few think their decades-ago practice makes them even more expert than those still working. But I agree in general and at least the CAs always put the best interests of patients first. 

From Diamond Jim: “Re: drink beer, get CME.” Strange — attendance at the HIMSS opening reception earns CME/CNE credits. Somehow I don’t think patients would be comforted to know that. I really did get some good education from some of the HIStalk pals Inga and I hung out with there, though.

It was strangely quiet and low-key at the convention center today, but you could smell the money. New exhibitors, new attendees, and lots of expensive advertising stuff were obvious. It looked nice outside, but with temps in the low 50s and lots of wind, it wasn’t really all that comfortable. I had forgotten until someone mentioned it about the weird layout of the exhibit hall, with the two unconnected halves that mean some vendors paid big dollars for Siberian real estate.

Speaking of that real estate, I was explaining to someone that it’s not enough to be willing to pay big bucks for booth space – you have to earn the right to spend that money by first accumulating HIMSS points. I’m not sure they believed me, so here’s the proof.

Like I always say, it looked like the Marines laying in supplies for the siege at Khe Sanh. Trucks, cartloads of food and drinks, and vendor shipments were everywhere. Everybody was dressed casually, which will be in contrast to the dolled up crowds tomorrow.

The opening reception was surprisingly uncrowded, with no drink lines at all (I only drank, but the food lines didn’t look much longer). The atmosphere, of course, was like taking an aircraft hangar, putting a small band at one end of it and leaving them to compete with their own echoes, and sticking up a few palm trees with Christmas lights on them. I’ll stick with my prediction of 30,000 attendees, but 90% of them weren’t at the opening reception for some reason.

Strangest line overheard, this from a supposed HIT journalist: “What does CIO stand for?”

Two acquisitions will be announced tomorrow morning, sources tell me (although one may be delayed until later in the week). One involves an imaging vendor, the other a document company.

My cheap hotel has slow wireless and I forgot my camera cord, so I”m working without much technology support. Luckily Inga is handy with her iPhone. She also brought me barbeque sauce, so anything she does is fine with me.

GE makes some announcements early: a clinical knowledge platform, eHealth solutions, and HIE improvements.

A reader snapped this candid photo (looks like a phone one) of Epic’s Judy Faulkner behind a coffee urn that looks like a 1950s sci fi robot or spaceship. I swear the woman never ages. I tried to get her to come to the reception tomorrow night and she says she “might drop by”, but I’m not holding my breath. If she does, we have a sash for her.

I’m counting on my fellow attendees to keep me abreast of rumors and news. Photos would be nice since my camera is useless without the cord. Send me anything interesting.