Dear 8MBI@HIMSS10 Attendees

First of all I want to thank you very much for taking time to join our effort. I appreciate it and I hope you derived value. If not, I would like to know. Let me know what you would change too. This is free form – send me an email. I will acknowledge all replies and we will factor your suggestions into our 2011 planning process.

Our vision is simple: design an efficient healthcare financial network. By accomplishing this we can as an industry convert some $35 billion in wasted dollars so providers can offer better care, or expanded care, in their communities. To do this we must evolve and facilitate sustaining models. I want to say that again. Our efforts must focus on sustaining models. That is truly the only way to grow this area that, while having great social goals, must survive the ebb and flow of commerce and competition. This is one good reason why we are developing a new, neutral, G7 Roundtable of engagement. We need great “move forward ideas and solutions” that integrate the good work done to construct building blocks (privacy, technical standards, specialty payment systems, etc) into efficient end-to-end healthcare financial networks.

Our short term focus must now move from learning about how the HIMSS global engine can propel our movement (what we covered at the Institute) to discrete case studies of medical banking innovation in the marketplace. We need to focus on the pragmatic while at the same time evolving thought leadership. HIMSS Medical Banking Project will keep this new paradigm of activity and ideas in front of our membership. One way we’ll do this is by merging content areas in medical banking, financial systems and payer administration…and we will seek to develop resources targeting medical consumerism as well (globalization of healthcare, medical tourism, account-based plans, etc). The “tsunami” of 5010/ICD10 transformation is also a key forward focus as are other areas (mHealth, community care platforms, fraud and abuse, etc).

We look forward to, and frankly need, your continued engagement. Please join HIMSS MBProject if you’re not a member today. Our membership plan has changed dramatically in terms of cost and a whole new layer of benefits! We need your input ALL YEAR LONG, not just at the Institute! Thanks so much again for spending time with us in Atlanta!

John Casillas
Senior Vice President
HIMSS Medical Banking Project, Business and Financial Information Systems
230 East Ohio Street, Suite 500
Chicago IL 60611-3270
www.mbproject.org / www.himss.org
615.794.2009
HIMSS...providing HIT leadership through knowledge and education for the betterment of healthcare. Go to www.himss.org to see how.