March 13, 2009 – HIMSS said today that with less than a month before HIMSS 2009, total conference registration parallels the record-breaking registration figures during this same time frame for last year’s show.
The growing registration number for HIMSS 2009 has been significantly impacted by healthcare information technology professionals who view the conference as a valuable educational venue related to the recent passage of federal reimbursement incentives for healthcare IT adoption.
“Hospital and ambulatory clinicians and IT professionals see the conference as an opportunity to learn more about the details, challenges and opportunities in the economic stimulus package,” said H. Stephen Lieber, HIMSS president and CEO. “We are offering more than 300 education sessions, including 11 special sessions on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), plus the opportunity to see healthcare IT products from nearly 850 companies on the exhibition floor. This is an extremely valuable opportunity for healthcare providers to prepare their organizations for the opportunities resulting from the new federal legislation.”
Conference registration is also drawing heavily from the Midwest, with a 5 percent increase in attendees from those states contiguous to Illinois. Registration reports also show a 7 percent increase in physicians attending and 8 percent more first-time attendees registered for HIMSS 2009 than HIMSS 2008. Another key indicator of the importance of the conference is a 3 percent growth in C-suite registrations, which includes CEOs, COOs, chief information officers, chief nursing officers, chief medical information officers and other similar titles.
Lieber believes C-suite registrations have increased because organizations feel the need to have decision-makers on the ground in addition to their rank-and-file staff seeking education. He also indicated registration for nurses is down by 8 percent, a reduction he attributes to the economic situation and staffing needs for these clinicians.
On the exhibit floor, attendees will find 832 companies versus 838 in 2008, when compared to this same time last year. Four weeks out from opening of the conference, the number of new companies exhibiting totals 229 compared to 239 at HIMSS 2008. New companies continue to sign up as exhibitors, said Lieber, because they know attendees are seeking the healthcare IT solutions they offer.
For more information: www.himssconference.org
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