Message for Members

Over the last year we have been able to work with some highly motivated member volunteers. The SIG board of directors could not have accomplished as much without all of those who have participated. Through their co-operative efforts, we have expanded member benefits and are able to plan for additional benefits in the future. Ultimately, the board and committee members are all unpaid volunteers, so working together as a team has been rewarding. We encourage anyone interested in getting more involved with the SIG to do so. The more the merrier!

We are really looking forward to the upcoming PMI Global Congress in Atlanta. Hopefully, many of you will be able to join us for the member meeting on October 6th. More detailed information and a registration form will be going out soon. Paul Turkal, the newest member of the board, is working hard on this event to make it the best yet! The meeting has grown in numbers over the years and we are anticipating a good group in October. Seeing YOU will be the highlight of our trip.

Thank you all for your support of the PMI Healthcare SIG. As always, each of you is part of the reason we keep working so hard. Your help and encouragement throughout the year is very much appreciated.

Michele Mills, PMP
Healthcare SIG President

The Healthcare SIG seeks a motivated member to help ensure the fiscal stability of the SIG. Join the board as treasurer and help make a difference to nearly 2,500 healthcare project managers throughout the world. This is a board-appointed position.

Treasurer
The Treasurer/Director of Finance shall oversee the management of funds for duly authorized purposes of the SIG, shall prepare the monthly account reconciliation report, annual budget, and shall present financial reports to the Board and an annual financial report to the membership. The term for this position is January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2009.

If you are interested or have questions, please contact Adam Birnbaum, past president, at pastpresident@pmihealthcare.org. If you wish to be considered, please submit your résumé.

Healthcare SIG to Hold Annual Membership Meeting at
North American Global Congress - Mark Your Calendars!

Join us Saturday, 6 October 2007 from 7:30 - 9 PM at the Healthcare SIG's annual member meeting. This year's meeting will be held in Atlanta, coinciding with the PMI® Global Congress North American 2007.

The meeting will feature a "state of the SIG" presentation, member networking and educational programming. Hors d'ouevres and refreshments will be served.

Register now for the Annual Meeting

Annual Membership Meeting When: Saturday, 6 October 2007 Time: 7:30 - 9 PM Location: Hyatt Regency, Hanover Hall

PMI is conducting a survey of the readers of PM Network®. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. The purpose of the survey is to gather information that PM Network® needs to build a better magazine. Your answers will describe how you read PM Network® and other publications serving the profession. You'll tell us more about who you are, your work and work-related activities. In addition, your answers will give us insight that we can use in editorial development and that we can share with advertisers, whose support we rely on to deliver PM Network® to you and your fellow PMI members.

Your answers will be compiled with the answers of other readers and analyzed to produce information that will help guide future advertising decisions. Your individual answers will be treated in the strictest confidence.

To thank you for your participation, you will be entered in a randomized prize drawing to win one of five $50 (USD) American Express gift certificates.

Take the survey now

HIMSS®08 Registration Now Open

Plans are already under way so mark your calendar to attend HIMSS08. Hotels will fill up quickly so prebook now and get the hotel of your choice. A payment is not required at this time - just a credit card to hold the room. The credit card will not be charged anything until two weeks before the meeting.

As a communications professional involved with health care information, you know how important it is to eliminate ambiguity from the documents you produce. You know that:

• Your readers will be less confused, better engaged, and more loyal,
• Your support and service people will be less burdened by “annoyance” calls and better able to tackle more substantial issues,
• Your partners will be more responsive and better performers, and
  Your organization in the end will be more nimble, more competitive, and more profitable.

If these issues are important to you, then come to the 2007 Healthcare Communications Forum: Connecting Clarity and the Bottom Line. The forum is dedicated to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the information that flows among payers, providers, and patients.

For more information, visit the forum web site.

Industry News

U.S. Playing Catch-Up in Health Care IT
Medical professionals and technology developers are making gradual progress in Health IT. Health care IT in the US lags behind that of many other countries, such as Denmark and New Zealand, but the prognosis is for gradual improvement if the country continues a steady regimen of investment and development. Learn more.

Rhode Island awards contract to build state HIE
The Rhode Island Department of Health has awarded EDS a three-year contract to design, implement and manage the nation's first statewide network for electronic health records. The Rhode Island Health Information Exchange (HIE) plans to consolidate the health information of state residents in a secure network to provide authorized hospitals, doctors, pharmacists and other health care providers with a more complete patient health file to aid in patient care. Learn more.

Michael Moore's SiCKO - is it relevant?
Michael Moore's documentary SiCKO has sparked debate about the healthcare system among people inside and outside the industry. Does the film have any relevance to healthcare IT and its potential to influence healthcare reform? Click here to take the survey.

Volunteers

Web Development Support Resource

• Participate in all aspects of applications development and integration, including: requirements definition, design, development/acquisition, validation, implementation and maintenance.
• Will be part of a team providing software applications development and support for future applications portfolio.
• Work with SIG board committees to determine requirements and deploy solutions to meet those requirements across geographies.
• Support the SIG to maintain high levels of system availability and user satisfaction across assigned areas.
• Develop a solid understanding of processes and underlying application technologies to facilitate the achievement of key business objectives.
• Ensure that solutions and efforts are compliant with IT architecture, development and documentation standards, as well as to Quality System/regulatory requirements.

Contact the director of membership services for more details.

Volunteering and mentoring does not create leaders, - IT REVEALS THEM.