Anyone else still reeling from HIMSS? Wow, it’s amazing to be surrounded by so many impassioned HIT people!
But with the week behind us, there is much to reflect on with clarity. Think back to the booths and sessions and people you met at lunch and networking events. What impressed you?
Like me, I’m sure you heard lots of claims, but details matter. Are the companies that inspired you accomplishing great things today, or is it more aspirational? Were organizations you spoke with going at it alone, or were they fostering genuine connections? Which companies seem to be working in an IT bubble versus solving real problems in healthcare that can move the needle forward?
At first glance, it seemed like everyone had similar party lines around AI, interoperability, burnout….And well, you see the point I'm making. One popular thought leader even joked on social media that he was glad every HIMSS exhibitor was single handedly solving AI.
But we all need to challenge ourselves and the industry. Now, away from all the noise, we must look at things through a sharp lens. Look under the hood; ask the hard questions.
At MEDITECH, the end goal is always about the provider and patient. Along that vein, here is what I heard and saw that impressed me most.
1. Vendors who could differentiate their brand instead of sounding like everyone else.
It’s marketing 101, but if you can’t articulate how your brand is different from every other service or solution out there, it’s going to be impossible to rise above the noise at a venue like HIMSS. The event offered multiple opportunities to do so, such as booth branding, your sales pitch, sponsorships, and speaking opportunities. Your organization’s differentiators need to be clear and consistent across all platforms.
2. Companies who had quantifiable results.
For any company you are looking to do business with, don’t let the flashy graphics, giveaways, and catchy campaigns fool you. If they don’t have tangible outcomes plastered all over their booth, or if they are vague about results when speaking with you one on one, take that into strong consideration.
3. Organizations with proven, long lasting relationships.
Good business is all about relationships. Take the time to observe the companies you work with–do they sustain their business relationships or do they go for quick hits and then move on? Pay attention to companies who not only bring in new business, but who also retain customers over time.
MEDITECH appreciates all our customers, collaborators, and other HIT leaders, and we enjoyed spending time with them all. It was exciting to see the MEDITECH community presenting on the big stage, as well as advocating our brand in our booth!
4. The companies that worked collaboratively with others.
Let’s be honest, for as much camaraderie you see at HIMSS, the event is rife with competition. But the needle isn’t going to move forward in a bubble. For me, the most heartening aspect of HIMSS was all the ways in which collaboration was being practiced. Competitors shared the stage at the Interoperability Showcase. There was keen interest in working with MEDITECH and our technology through Greenfield Workspace and MEDITECH Alliance.
Truly, there were numerous opportunities for networking, learning, listening, and connecting at HIMSS23. For all the talk of HIMSS attendance being lower than that of past years, tens of thousands of thought leaders at the same event is still a big deal.
It felt good to return feeling energized and inspired. The momentum building is palpable. We are excited about the proven interest in Expanse, from the growing base of new and existing customers moving to MEDITECH’s cloud-hosted option, MaaS, to the heightened interest in Traverse, our interoperability solution, to our population health tools like Care Compass. We feel empowered by collaborations with customers like Frederick Health and their precision medicine program, as well as long standing relationships with large organizations such as HCA, who after a decade of HCA assessment—having used all three of the major EHR vendors, Epic, Cerner and MEDITECH—chose Expanse for their transformation journey.
It is through thoughtful collaborations like these that we solve the pressing challenges of the healthcare industry today and in the future. We think about another long term customer Fraser Health Authority, and their first of twelve Expanse go lives having launched on April 15th, on the eve of HIMSS week. All evidence points to the fact that we accomplished what we set out to do: MEDITECH Expanse is the most mobile, intuitive EHR ever built, helping providers make decisions based on the best information available, wherever they are and whenever they need it.
This is the MEDITECH of today, and if you are just beginning to learn what that means, strap in, because we can’t wait to take you on this journey with us.
We are all in this together. We thank our customers and other collaborators for their valued partnership, and we are excited to continue innovating and forging connections as we drive forward.
MEDITECH developed this list of nine questions to ask prospective EHR vendors — including us — to help you find the most sustainable EHR for your organization. Make sure you are getting the answers you need.
Connect with us and see how MEDITECH can move your organization forward. Contact us or call 781-774-7700 to learn more.
