One year ago on May 25, 2011, we launched the ICD-10 PlayBook at the HIMSS G7 with the support and collaboration of the many participants, Medical Banking and Financial Systems Committee and ICD-10 Task Force. Our goal was to create relevant and impactful content stakeholders need for this sea of change in healthcare transformation. 

We thank you for making the ICD-10 PlayBook your reliable, “go to” resource and for keeping it “top of mind” as you educate your clients, staff, members and constituents.

To celebrate your accomplishments, please help us with the following:

1)     Send emails to your staff, members and clients to encourage them to use the ICD-10 PlayBook so they can begin to get ready “NOW.”

2)     Send your greetings and comments about the ICD-10 PlayBook by visiting www.himss.org/ICD10PlayBook  and click on the “Give Us Your Feedback” tab. We want to hear how you’ve been using the ICD-10 PlayBook!

3)     Read the following  1^st year ICD-10 PlayBook milestones with a smile:

The ICD-10 PlayBook is one of the top 5 most visited sites within the HIMSS.org website along with the EHR, Meaningful Use, State HIT Dashboard and Policy sections.

• In less than 1 year, the ICD-10 PlayBook website generated over 35,000 visits.
• The ICD-10 Task Force’s Predictive Modeling Tool has generated almost 5,000 uses/downloads. To view, go to HIMSS – ICD-10 Cost Predictive Modeling Tool (2/14/2011).
• Users of the PlayBook include hospital boards, CEO, VPs, CIOs, CMIO, CNIOs, directors, managers, ambulatory providers, physicians, nurses,  state governments, vendors, health plans, clearing houses, healthcare strategists, IT/IS/business consultants, revenue cycle managers and staff,  business/systems analysts, academia faculty/educators, students and more!
• Sponsors of the ICD-10 PlayBook have enjoyed high rates of exposure, content use and downloads (for sponsorship opportunities, email jasantos@himss.org).
• More than 30 organizations now belong to the ICD-10 PlayBook Community and they continue to create and submit content based on provider needs.
• ICD-10 PlayBook related activities and events include:  10 webinars/virtual briefings,  Annual Conference 2012  (AC12) ICD-10 Symposium, AC12 ICD-10 Knowledge Center, AC12 Healthcare Business Community ICD-10 demonstration at the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase (to become a HIMSS member and receive HIMSS Annual Conference discounts,  email emorgan@himss.org).
• The ICD-10 Task Force provided to 10 HIMSS chapters presentations on ICD-10 using information from the PlayBook (to join the ICD-10 Task Force, email emorgan@himss.org).

4)     Tweet about  the 1^st Birthday of the ICD-10 PlayBook and send out the website URL.

5)     Post the ICD-10 PlayBook website on your Facebook and other social media outlets.

The ICD-10 PlayBook’s second year brings many more opportunities to the pipeline for all of us. They will include:

A new design for the ICD-10 PlayBook Version 3, scheduled for launch in March 2013 (to become a content contributor, email  emorgan@himss.org).

• Improved usability and easier navigation
• Incremental reports featuring “what works and what doesn’t work” resulting from the upcoming ICD-10 Pilot Program  with end-to-end testing in collaboration with key stakeholders  (to be considered for participation in the pilot program, email jasantos@himss.org).
• Financial Risk Calculator tool
• More ICD-10 Advisory Reports from the HIMSS G7- our premier leadership and strategic solutions platform.  To learn more about the HIMSS G7, please click here.
• More content regarding implementation, Go live and monitor/control
• More content and messaging from health plans, providers, clearinghouses, financial institutions, vendors and consultants
• And many more surprise new features currently under development

A big thank you to our current sponsors:

• United Healthcare
• Wolters Kluwer
• 3M
• CodeSmart University
• JVION

 …….and our charter sponsors:

•  United Healthcare
• Experis/Manpower Group
• AHIMA
• AAHAM

…..for making the ICD-10 PlayBook an enduring resource, complementary for providers and all who wish to succeed in ICD-10!  We look forward to our new adventures together as we create and contribute content for the ICD-10 PlayBook to help providers!

Congratulations to all of you on a successful 1^st ICD-10 PlayBook year! Next year promises to be even better!

Best regards from the HIMSS Business-Centered Systems Staff,

• John Casillas, Senior Vice President, HIMSS Business-Centered Systems 
• Juliet A Santos, MSN, CCRN, FNP-BC, Senior Director, HIMSS Business-Centered Systems
• Joanne Bartley, CAE,  Manager, HIMSS Business-Centered Systems
• Ebony Morgan, Coordinator, HIMSS Business-Centered Systems                     

Here’s how the chat will work:

• Ask your questions now and during the live event on Twitter by replying to @HIMSS and using the #AskAneesh hashtag
• Follow the Q&A and join the conversation through the #AskAneesh TweetChat Room
• Aneesh will be live on Twitter for a 1-hour Q&A at 1 pm to 2 pm CT (2 pm ET to 3 pm ET) on Wednesday, May 30.
• If you miss the live session, we’ll post a summary of the session after the chat to the HIMSS Blog.

The chat will focus on topics that will be presented at the upcoming Government Health IT Conference & Exhibition (#GHIT12) on June 11-12 in Washington, DC:

• Meaningful Use
• E-connecting with Consumers
• Innovation
• Health IT Policy
• Mobile Health Technologies

What do you want to #AskAneesh? Tell @HIMSS now and during the live event!

Here’s what some HIMSS staffers want to #AskAneesh:

Edna Boone, Senior Director, mHIMSS (@mHIMSS) asks:

• What can private industry, consumers and the government do to ensure barriers are cleared paving the way for patient management without walls?

David Collins (@collinsdavid), Senior Director, Professional Development asks:

• Will apps bridge the gap between patients and providers and provide consumer engagement in their own care?

Mary Griskewicz (@mgriskewicz), Senior Director, Healthcare Information Systems asks:

• What do you think will be the tipping point for clinicians to truly understand PHI belongs to the patient/consumer? How can we define the role HIT plays to eEngage with consumers?

Tom Leary (@tlearyHIMSS), Senior Director, Federal Affairs asks:

• Before you left government, health IT, energy, and education were three growing areas for US exports. Do you still agree these are growth areas? How have the US agreements with India and South Korea supported or hindered the vision?

Tom Martin (@tommartin3) Manager, mHIMSS asks:

• How will mHealth achieve integration into our daily lives, which requires sound ROI, interoperability and free exchange of data, and the need for heightened security?

Aneesh is a Senior Advisor with The Advisory Board Company. In 2009, he was appointed by President Obama as the first U.S. Chief Technology Officer.  As an Assistant to the President, he designed the National Wireless Initiative and executed an “open innovation” strategy across agencies built on private sector collaboration.

Shahid, also known as “The Healthcare IT Guy” online, is a consultant to various federal agencies on IT matters and winner of Federal Computer Week’s coveted “Fed 100″ award given to IT experts that have made a big impact in the government. Shahid runs three successful blogs: http://shahid.shah.org; www.healthcareguy.com; www.federalarchitect.com; and www.hitsphere.com.

Get ready for next Wednesday’s chat:

• [PODCAST] Listen to last week’s FederalNewsRadio.com (@FedNewsRadio) Health IT: A Policy Change Agent panel discussion with Aneesh Chopra, Judy Murphy, James Peake and Carla Smith.
• [VIDEO] Get amped up with Aneesh’s passion for innovation and other federal health and technology leaders as they discuss entrepreneurship in healthcare at the HIMSS11 Venture Fair.
• [VIDEO] Aneesh Chopra and Farzad Mostashari talk about how open access to electronic health data can reform physician pay and patient care at TEDMED 2011.

https://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/%23askaneesh

#HITsm T1: Who is the most powerful driver in the implementation of mobile health technologies? Clinicians? Patients? Providers?

— HL7 Standards (@HealthStandards) May 18, 2012

While the question was originally purposed around clinicians, patients, and providers, a number of #HITsm participants relished in several nuances of the question, including the aforementioned three in conjunction with Technology, Vendors, and a few all-encompassing responses.

The chat lasted for an hour, but the first question lasted a bit longer. The following is a collection of responses from the first topic of a five question #HITsm Twitter chat; May 18, 2012; 11am to 12pm CST.

Who is the most powerful driver in the implementation of mobile health technologies?

Patients.

No surprise here. For most, patients appear to be the ultimate stakeholder in mobile health technology implementation as they are the recipients of the advancements in care that we are all working rigorously to progress. So, who’s voting on patients?

@HealthStandards #HITsm Patients are the key! — Brian Ahier (@ahier) May 18, 2012

T1: I have to go with patients. They have the phones, the iPads, the laptops and they want to use them!#HITsm — Chad Johnson (@OchoTex) May 18, 2012

Agree w/ @OchoTex. All play a role but if patients don’t see the value or like the process, they wont’ use it. Hard to single out #HITsm — jeffrey zinger (@jdzinger) May 18, 2012

A1: I would say consumers, rather than patients #HITsm — Elin Silveous (@ElinSilveous) May 18, 2012

HIMSS’ Senior Director, Healthcare Information Systems and staff liaison to the HIMSS Personal Health IT Work Group, Mary Griskewicz commented:

“Consumers, which are patients, are the most powerful drivers in the implementation of mobile health technologies. Consumers are rapidly becoming more technology savvy; hence their expectations of their care givers to adopt and use technologies has, and will continue, to grow.”

Clinicians.

While patients appear to be one of the most pervasive end-users of mobile health technologies, we do have to acknowledge the fact that clinicians are driving patient engagement decisions and practices everyday:

@ahier T1: Ultimately I agree, but currently I feel clinicians are driving a lot of the trends, particularly #BYOD. #HITsm

— Ken Congdon (@KenOnHIT) May 18, 2012

#BYOD = Bring Your Own Device

[Additional Reading: Top 3 considerations when designing apps for the mobile clinician]

Providers.

If you’re a believer in a top-down approach to healthcare outcomes, providers could quite possibly be one of the most powerful, albeit difficult, drivers of emerging mHealth practices. Some health systems are undoubtedly more suited to adopt mobile health technologies than others. However, the question is, how will the provider setting be integrating mobile health in to its workflow, patient engagement, and clinical practice processes to advance healthcare outcomes?

Hi everyone! A1: Most important in mobile are consumers, but won’t get real traction until providers (and their data) are connected #HITsm

— Phil Chuang (@PhilipChuang) May 18, 2012

T1 I would say the desire to have access to data in the right format at the right time is biggest driver in mhealth #HITsm

— Forerun, Inc. (@ForerunSystems) May 18, 2012

Which raises the question: [Are providers ready to be influencers in the mobile health adoption process?]

Technology.

A driver that rarely “gets a say” in healthcare, technology, is the one common denominator in the whole mHealth discussion.

A1: Apple RT @HealthStandards #HITsm T1: Who is the most powerful driver in the implementation of mobile health technologies?… #mHealth

— Elin Silveous (@ElinSilveous) May 18, 2012

Off the top of my head I’d go w/Apple … then patients. Apple provides consumer tech that patients can learn to use for healthcare #HITsm

— Jennifer Dennard (@SmyrnaGirl) May 18, 2012

Apple is driving consumer adoption. Won’t be patient adoption until providers are integrated. @CLOUDHealth #HITsm

— Elin Silveous (@ElinSilveous) May 18, 2012

Inasmuch as technology is undoubtedly an influencer in the adoption of mHealth, one might ask, how and from whom are we collecting intelligence on the creation of newer technologies?

Vendors.

This seemed to be one of the more debated drivers in the mobile adoption and implementation process discussion. I think many are slow to give an ANY vendor the title of “driver” or anything other than the scarlet label of “Vendor,” but Don Rosenthal (below) does surface an interesting question: If they are not already, how can mobile health vendors begin to earn that “driver” market share in the minds of consumers? Is it possible? Anything’s possible. However, one might suggest that if healthcare and mobile vendors are keeping a pulse on the market with smart business intelligence tools (social media included) that they (or at least the savvy ones) could very well establish themselves as a driver in the mobile healthcare market.

T1: I wanna say vendors but they are not an option. Vendors competing for the Providers $$$ #HITsm — Stephen Jones MRIs (@StephenMRIs) May 18, 2012

There are lots of demands in lots of markets but not all are served. We can want lots but will only get what vendors build @KenOnHIT#hitsm — Don Rosenthal (@DonRosenthal) May 18, 2012

@DonRosenthal But also key is that #mhealth filling a need or solving problem that is a challenge for the in-person/old fashioned way #hitsm — Robert Green (@HealthcareNovel) May 18, 2012

@DonRosenthal Sounds like the chicken or the egg debate #HITsm — Chad Johnson (@OchoTex) May 18, 2012

Although the semantics of who is the most influential driver in mHealth technologies may seem trivial, could the ability to identify these stakeholders be a step toward a better way to serve them? 

Can’t we all just get along?

T1: Thinking perhaps the most powerful drivers of IT/mobile health is filling the space between patients, providers, facilities #HITsm

— Melissa Cole (@MelissaColeHTR) May 18, 2012

T1: All of them. #HITsm

— Peter Gilbert (@PeterNGilbert) May 18, 2012

T1 Does it matter who is the most powerful driver? The drive is here, and we should plan accordingly! #HITsm

— Forerun, Inc. (@ForerunSystems) May 18, 2012

While there may be a current divide in the understanding of the mobile health consumer, we might surmise that someday these drivers will converge in some shape as all of the stakeholders in healthcare learn to listen, grow, collaborate, rinse, and repeat. So, what will the future of mHealth look like?

“The ubiquity & flexibility of mobile & wireless platforms enable convenient patient and provider engagement anywhere, anytime, anyplace. These low-cost solutions connect patients and care providers in demand for health and healthcare monitoring, easing the pressure of provider shortages, and broadening chronic disease and preventative care options.”
- Edna Boone, Senior Director of mHIMSS

Your call to action: Share some of your hard questions, and even better, help us solve a few while you’re at it.

Some numbers for the road.

Today’s #HITsm chat digital footprint, via @2healthguru: bit.ly/I5G6v5| 631 tweets, 1,910,674 impressions, reaching 281,357

— HL7 Standards (@HealthStandards) May 18, 2012

Last week I had the opportunity to moderate a panel discussion on Health IT as a Policy Change Agent with three people whose passion for positive change is truly infectious: former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James Peake, former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, and ONC’s Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy (and liaison to the HIMSS Board) Judy Murphy. 

Carla Smith, Aneesh Chopra, Jim Peake, and Judy Murphy outside the studios of WTOP/Federal News Radio last week.

Aneesh Chopra laid out three “mega-trends” he’s seeing in healthcare today:

• Increasing adoption of electronic health records
• Changes in how care is paid for, including incentives for coordinated care
• Empowerment of patients as they gain increased access to their own health data

Both Dr. Peake and Judy echoed Aneesh’s focus on the importance of engaging the patient in their own care.  Jim was pleased with the success of VA’s “Blue Button” initiative, which he described as the ability for a patient to be able to download and share his or her health data in easy to read and portable format.  He also pointed to how health IT can aid the more than 700,000 veterans using some form of home health services.

ONC looks to the VA for lessons learned and what works.  As patients gain access to their own data, Judy noted, they’re beginning to see themselves as partners in their own health.  She believes such engagement leads to healthier behaviors; wellness is not controlled externally by clinicians – it’s a coordinated effort in which the patient’s participation is pivotal.

The Beacon Communities (initiated as part of HITECH) were another dynamic addition to the discussion.  Judy described ONC’s compilation of data from 17 communities served by these demonstration projects.  The majority of the projects are showing how various health stakeholders, working together, are improving the health of entire communities.

“At the end of the day, our economy responds to incentives,” said Aneesh Chopra. He went on to say that new payment models are lending themselves to reward integrated care, allowing health system productivity to evolve from fee-for-service, to a value-based care delivery model where providers are incentivized for the value they deliver to patient health, rather than by the volume of treatments they provide.  These changes in workforce and incentives are leading to “higher touch care” through increased outreach and follow-ups.

As Jim said: “Every physician, I’m convinced, wants to do the best for his or her patient.”

I hope you’ll find time to listen to the panel’s full discussion, which is available on demand. These thought leaders talked about the power each of us has to shape IT and health policy to impact our nation’s economic future and wellness of all Americans.

And by all means please join us to continue the conversation at next month’s Government Health IT Conference at the Ronald Reagan Building June 11-12!  For federal employees, full conference registration is just $50.

What do you think of Aneesh, Jim, and Judy’s  comments?  Do you agree with Aneesh’s mega-trends?  With Judy’s assertion that having the patient at the center of care will improve it?  And, tell us what you know about the use of the Blue Button in the VA and other settings.  Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!

It’s so important to take time to acknowledge the many contributions of nurses and to recognize our current and future leaders. After reading this week’s blogs and the different perspectives on nursing, I have a BIG smile on my face.

What really grabbed my attention was the passion and excitement each nurse expressed about her work. It seems clear that each of these individuals is demonstrating leadership in her current role, from graduate student to HIMSS Board Chair-Elect, from vendor to provider.

As I look back on this week, I am reflecting on what it takes to be a leader.

Who comes to mind when you think of someone who is a great leader? Some of the bloggers this week mentioned people who inspired them to begin their nursing careers. Others reflected on events that occurred or mentors that encouraged them to advance down a certain career path.

What leadership traits do you admire most in those that have inspired you?  One trait that comes to mind is being willing and able to stand up for what you believe in. Leaders do this well. It is not an afterthought, or something they have to be reminded of. It simply comes from having the courage of their convictions.

• Do you speak up for what’s important in your organization?
• Do you do the same in your profession, your specialty, or your community?
• Are you able to express yourself in a way that makes others listen?
• Are you willing to push yourself outside of your comfort zone?

Speaking up for what is right requires being confident that you are focused on the right principles and that your mission and vision are sound. Nurses are, first and foremost, patient advocates. That advocacy role lays a wonderful foundation for speaking up on others’ behalf. True leaders challenge themselves and others to make a difference. Speaking up takes courage, but when you look back at your career, I bet those are the moments that you will remember, and be most proud of.

I will never forget one of the nursing instructors in my ADN program, Mrs. Ackert. She had a reputation for being tough and giving students a hard time. But she taught me one of the best lessons that I learned in school. She reminded us daily that we weren’t becoming nurses to simply give good patient care. She stressed that the most important thing that we were learning was how to think. And I still take that advice to heart each day.

• Do you think about how you influence those around you?
• Do you take the time to mentor others as future leaders?
• Do you empower your staff members to think for themselves and take the necessary actions to advance their work both within and outside of your organization?

If so, this is a great week to commend yourself as a leader and for others to offer thanks for what you do. 

And, before we leave Nurses Week, be sure to check out the many tools and resources the members of the HIMSS Nursing Informatics Community have developed to help you advance as a leader.

In closing, I will quote another great leader who said, “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” Bill Gates.

Sounds like good advice to me.

My older sister was my inspiration to go into nursing.  She was my inspiration for most things growing up, as the younger sibling who wanted to be just like her, from the clothes she wore to the activities she joined.

I was a total copy cat mostly because she was so passionate about her approach to life in everything she did that it created an energy and enthusiasm for others in a way that just made you want to be part of whatever she was in to.  My choice to go into nursing was no different. 

While I have always admired my sister, there is still that sibling rivalry that middle children seem to be blessed with, so I knew I wanted to go into nursing but that my career path, once in the profession, was going to be very distinctive and completely opposite from hers, so that I could stand out. 

So, before ever entering school or laying hands on a patient, I knew that I was not going to be a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner or a Legal Nurse Consultant, like my sister. And that’s when I set my goals on forensic nursing.  I wanted to study crimes and care for my patients by helping to put their offenders behind bars.  I guess you could say being the middle child also gave me a flare for the dramatics!

Then I started nursing school. 

During my first week of my first year of a BSN program, I took an Introduction to Nursing Informatics class at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and I was hooked!  From the moment my instructor (and my first nursing informatics mentor, Chris Hudak) began her opening remarks to the class, I caught the informatics bug! 

At the time, in the mid 1990s, this was only School of Nursing in the country to offer this curriculum to its undergraduate nursing students all four years of the program.  Case Western Reserve University was also awarded as the “Most Wired” University in the country when I attend, so technology was becoming a part of the main stay in dorm rooms and across campus life. 

That said, I was still a very rare case with my instant interest in this field.  All of my classmates, like most nurses today, could not understand or see the significance as to why nurses need to engage in the adoption of technology at the point of care and how this specialty area of nursing practice had any practical application to caring for patients. For my analytical mind though, it just clicked. 

I was inspired from moment-one of my nursing journey to give high quality, efficient care to my patients and to other nurses by helping to manage data and information in a safe and effective way that promotes patient care.  I couldn’t help but sit in class as a young college freshman and think of the endless possibilities for the future with this field. 

At that point, I worked steadily to improve my clinical knowledge and experience as well as my technical knowledge and system experience.  For me, the two will forever go hand-in-hand throughout my nursing career.

Note:  In conjunction with HIMSS Professional Development and Informatics sections,  Cleveland Clinic is hosting the Nursing Informatics Institute on May 31. Find out more..and register…here.

Marianela ”Nelita” Zytkowski, DNP, MS, RN-BC is Senior Director of Nursing Informatics at Cleveland Clinic Health System in Cleveland, Ohio.

How did you decide to become a nurse? I always had an interest in science and the study of health. When I was in high school, I became a nurse’s aide, and I found the work extremely interesting. From there on, I never questioned what I wanted to do. I was one of those few students who go to college and never change their major!

How did you transition into nursing informatics? For the first few years after graduation from nursing school, I worked as a staff nurse in various acute care settings, but I knew I wanted to pursue further education. Since the university I attended did not offer a MSN/MBA degree, I pursued the MBA to leverage nursing better within business and management communities.

After graduation, my first management role was as a Director of Nursing for a 770-bed hospital in Florida. I was pleased to contribute my expertise and be the voice at the administrative table for other nurses for 12 years. Then, pursuing a different direction with an eye on ways to improve the quality of care, I began to participate in quality improvement work and attended a nursing informatics meeting.

The meeting was fascinating, and I recognized immediately that informatics held great power for nursing and patient care. However, everyone spoke in acronyms, and it was difficult to understand the content of the meetings.  I decided it was time again to pursue more knowledge, and the path for the future became more clear.

I took four graduate online nursing informatics classes at Indiana University. One of my projects was with TIGER, where a small group of students and I looked at the extent to which nursing graduate programs had included informatics content in their Doctorate of Nursing Programs (DNPs) programs. From there, I rapidly became involved in a series of TIGER projects.

During that time, I also pursued my own goals for more education and attended the ONC’s Community College Consortia Program for HIT in the Implementation Manager Role Program. Before becoming the Senior Director of the TIGER Initiative Foundation, I worked as a clinical analyst implementing EHRs. In this first role as the Senior Director for The TIGER Initiative Foundation, I am on the front-end of establishing a foundation,  working with national collaborators and helping develop the structure and infrastructure of The TIGER Initiative Foundation.

What advice would you give nurses looking to get into the Informatics field?

1. Ask questions. Become involved in informatics related projects or committees.                 

2. Learn the terminology. There are plenty of online opportunities to learn about nursing informatics either through formal graduate classes or CEU classes. Education in this field is vital, and the learning curve is steep, but so rewarding! As soon as you are involved in informatics, you can see the value to the nursing profession.

3. Avail yourself of information in informatics-related organizations, such as HIMSS and the TIGER Initiative Foundation.                                                              

4. Try to find an informatics mentor. I have been grateful for the mentors I have had over the years, they really make a difference in your career. 

What do you see your role as within Nursing Informatics today?

• Educating nurses regarding informatics and technology and their important role in the success of informatics to change healthcare; and 
• Continuing the work that I have done in the past related to implementation of nursing informatics in interdisciplinary environments and across the continuum of care.

Sally Schlack, RN, MBA, is Senior Director, The TIGER Initiative Foundation.

Why did you become a nurse? My immediate response when anyone asks me this question is “divine intervention.”  I was in high school when I was called out of class one afternoon by a high school guidance counselor.  He informed me that I fit the profile perfectly for a new nurse co-op aide program with a local hospital, and before he could say any more I exclaimed, “I don’t want to be a nurse!”  He encouraged me to consider this unique opportunity and after discussing it over with my parents I decided to enroll in the program.

Michelle Troseth, RN, MSN, DPNAP

My initial reaction about nursing was primarily due to having no nursing role models in my life, and the stereotypical television characters of nurses back in the ’70’s did little to entice me into the career.  But here is the good news…..when I started working in the hospital and side-by-side with nurses….I was AMAZED by who nurses were and what they did. 

I saw quickly how they played a key role in patient care.  I also was in awe of how much nurses knew (and how much they needed to know) to deliver the best care possible.  I am forever grateful for the knock on the door from my high school counselor, Mr. Rice.

Last December, I had the honor of being recognized as Alumni of the Year at Grand Valley State University (BSN ’83 and MSN ’97) and one of the highlights of the evening was being able to have Mr. Rice there, who I had not seen in over 30 years, to thank him for being the angel in my life that introduced me to nursing!

How did you transition into informatics?  After working three years in critical care, at the same hospital where the nurse co-op aide program was, I decided to go to another hospital where a new professional practice model of care was starting.  Bonnie Wesorick, MSN, RN, DPNAP, FAAN, was an assistant professor my senior year in college, and a mentor of mine. 

She left academia to start the Clinical Practice Model (CPM) and to create the type of environment and tools nurses needed to support their professional practice.  It was through the evolution of CPM, and my transition to a leadership role at the hospital, working in partnership with allied health and the hospital information system department, that I co-led a very committed group of clinicians in creating the first evidence-based, interdisciplinary clinical documentation system based on the CPM Framework. 

In 2001, I left the hospital and joined the CPM Resource Center to help lead the integration of professional practice and technology, and to help guide a growing CPM Consortium through the transition from paper to computerized documentation.  My first title was VP of Point-of-Care Automation, which I loved, because it represented the need to automate at the point of care – where care happens!  In the ’80’s and ’90’s so much of the focus in healthcare automation was in billing and non-direct care areas – it has been a long road looking back.

Part of my informatics journey involved becoming part of a software company (Eclipsys) from 2004-2007, which has led to my current home at Elsevier Clinical Decision Support, (2007-current) where Elsevier CPM has continued to grow and thrive.  Today, we have close to 400 hospitals using multiple health information technology systems that are using the same CPM tagged data-base for intentionally designed automated evidence-based interdisciplinary care planning and documentation. 

This year, we have accomplished another milestone by working directly with hospitals, even if a business-to-business partnership does not exist with their health IT vendor –and it has been strong nurse leaders advocating for the clinical team to ensure they have the practice support they need as they automate their care processes.

Another major part of my informatics journey has involved my engagement with key groups to advance the evidence and informatics agenda to prepare educators and practitioners for the 21^st century of practice.

I am proud to say:

• I have been part of TIGER (Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform) since its first meeting at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in January of 2005. 
• I have since served as the TIGER Summit Program Chair (2006) and co-chaired the TIGER Collaborative “Usability and Clinical Application Design” (2007-2008).
• I am now the Co-Chair of the newly formed TIGER Initiative Foundation, now a 501(c) (3) organization operating for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes.
• I also have been engaged with HIMSS Nursing Informatics and Usability Task Forces and have presented at national and local HIMSS conferences.

What advice would you give nurses looking to get into the informatics field?

• Make the connection between professional practice and technology.
• Volunteer to get engaged with efforts at your school/primary practice/hospital/health system to automate their clinical systems.
• Partner with all disciplines. Just as nurses are the coordinators of care at the point of care, informatics brings coordination for nursing informatics at the system level.  Patient care includes all disciplines and it must be well-integrated.
• Partner with nurse leaders (CNOs, Directors of Nursing, etc) to hear their vision of what informatics can do to improve patient care.
• Join HIMSS at the local and national levels – and get engaged with various work groups.
• Become engaged with the TIGER Initiative Foundation and use the TIGER Reports in your efforts to understand and implement information systems.
• Become a Polarity Thinker – healthcare is complex, and it requires the ability to manage polarities vs. solving problems. The CPM Resource Center has presented Polarity Management™ for healthcare at HIMSS, ANIA, AONE and other national conferences as an important competency for leaders in informatics.

What do you see your role as within nursing informatics today? I see my role to expand the current thinking and understanding of what nursing informatics can be today.  Nursing informatics can be at the helm of healthcare transformation as long as we ask the right questions and engage the right people.  Healthcare transformation requires a deep understanding of not only the role of informatics, but the roles of culture and professional practice to create true sustainable and interoperable health information systems. 

Ultimately, I see my role as being an advocate for nurses, physicians, allied health practitioners and patients to influence health policy so we achieve the type of interoperability we desire that represents our professionalism and the best patient-centered care across the continuum of care.

Michelle Troseth, RN, MSN, DPNAP, is Executive Vice President and Chief Professional Practice Officer for the CPM Resource Center. 

Based on these recommendations, members of the Board-appointed HIMSS Annual Conference Education Committee (ACEC) review all the proposals submitted,  comments and scores, and then, recommend the most-compelling sessions for the annual slate of education across over 20 topic categories. 

If you are considering submitting a proposal for HIMSS13, I have five guidelines that may help you in your submission process. I am not promising your proposal will be selected, but rather, I offer guidelines, if followed, to ensure that your submission is one of high quality.

1. The Topic.  With over 20 topic categories available for consideration at HIMSS13, the opportunities abound for potential presenters to share their experiences.  Ensure that your topic is timely, that it’s appropriate for health IT professionals, that it provides applicable (and actionable, if possible) information for attendees to use once they return to their work site, and that it avoids any hint of commercialism. 

2. The Structure.  The structure of your proposal is very important.  The title of the session must accurately reflect the summary description, which in turn, must accurately reflect the learning objectives.  The three items, in tandem, set the tone for supporting details to follow.  If you have a great title but poorly written learning objectives that do not support the summary of the proposal intent, your proposal will not score favorably.

3. The Content.  Ensuring that you have the details to support your proposal is very important.  In the past, we have received compelling submissions that either had not yet been implemented by the time of the Annual Conference (when in fact the entire submission was based on the implementation), the research was not concluded, or some other missing detail(s) that raised a question(s) in the reviewer’s critique.  So be sure that what you submit can be validated.  Also, keep in mind, not only do our attendees learn from successes, but also, from projects that did not result in what was intended, or, perhaps just failed.

4. The Details.  Be sure to include enough detail in your submission to support the title, session description, and the learning objectives.  While we receive many submissions, some are more detailed than others: and those proposals that are compelling offer enough supporting detail to accurately reflect session’s intent.  This is really important as our reviewers and the ACEC compare and contrast one proposal to another.

5. The Benefits. It’s exciting to learn that your proposal has been selected for placement at a HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition.  You’ll have the opportunity to share your knowledge and experiences on a national stage so that all can learn and benefit.  But you also will need to adhere to very strict timelines.  And for your effort, you will receive the opportunity for a complimentary conference registration (non-transferrable), advancement points towards Senior Member or HIMSS Fellow, as well as potential points toward the renewal of a professional certification, i.e. CPHIMS, PMP, or other.

So good luck, be detailed and be compelling. 

And what suggestions may you have to those considering responding to the HIMS13 Annual Conference & Exhibition Call for Proposal?

I am a student nurse who is just about to graduate; my pinning ceremony is May 10, 2012. Nursing is a second career for me; I have a BS in computer science and worked in that profession before realizing it wasn’t right for me (don’t worry, NI community: my CS background is serving me very well as I enter the healthcare field).

I chose nursing after thinking long and hard about what made me feel fulfilled as a person.

At the time I decided to become a nurse, I was working as a Service Desk Analyst for our very own HIMSS. My favorite part of the job was that I got to help people every day, so I decided I needed a career where helping people was the main goal. I was very fortunate to be surrounded by supportive nurses at HIMSS, who encouraged me every step of the way.

Nursing beckoned.

Nursing school has been a truly transformative experience. It’s taught me more than rationales and medications, than procedures and diseases.

• I’ve learned I can take the risk of quitting a stable job and start something new.
• I’ve learned that I can excel at something completely different and unknown.
• I learned to embrace the leadership potential inside of me, and this fall I was elected President of my school’s chapter of the Student Nurses’ Association.

“Helping people” doesn’t end with patients, and as SNA President, I’ve spent a bit of this year helping my fellow students navigate the intensive process of nursing school.

After graduation, I look forward to celebrating with my family and friends, then taking the NCLEX and finding my future career. While in school, I realized my passion for women’s health can be combined with my nursing career, and I’m hoping to find a position in labor & delivery. After I get more experience, I hope to return to school to become a Certified Nurse Midwife. It will be a long journey, but a fulfilling one.

Kairsten Thies is a graduate nurse at Truman College in Chicago, Ill.