2011 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition Call for Proposals

The 2011 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition Call for Proposals is now closed.

Jointly sponsored by and , the Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition provides world-class health IT and management systems education. Our Annual Conference Education Committee (ACEC), consisting of 12 appointed volunteers from all membership constituencies, carefully designs the program to meet the needs of our audience. 

Each year, HIMSS’s Annual Conference offers over 200 general education sessions. To ensure that our program’s content is timely, relevant, and optimally targeting our attendees’ needs, the ACEC selects about half from the ideas submitted during the “Call for Proposals”, and invites speakers for the remainder.

And in response to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which includes billions of dollars in Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments to providers and hospitals who demonstrate "Meaningful Use" of certified health IT products as defined through the publication of proposed rules in March 2010, HIMSS’ welcomes and will give preference to abstracts that demonstrate the adoption of healthcare information technology in support of the roadmap towards meaningful use. For HIMSS11, our focus moves from "theory" to "demonstration" of what has been accomplished.  Case studies that highlight best practices, innovation, vision, beneficial uses of HIT for the health of the population and the patient, increased effectiveness and efficiency, along with projects that demonstrate leadership, success, both challenges and opportunities, as well as change, will make for excellent sessions that will inform our attendees of what has been done.  Respecting that the proposed rules will be finalized after the HIMSS call for proposal closes on May 24th, final changes to slides will be due by January 17, 2011 which will provide ample time to incorporate any changes from proposed rule to the final rule.

In the late spring of each year, HIMSS receives more than 500 general education session proposals via the online Call for Proposal process.  Using ACEC appointees as subject matter leaders, HIMSS engages over 200 volunteer subject matter experts to review all of the proposals.  All HIMSS members are welcomed and encouraged to volunteer as a reviewer. 

To ensure a fair assessment, every single proposal is evaluated by three volunteer reviewers.  Led by ACEC members, review teams meet throughout the summer months to evaluate proposals.   Proposals are evaluated based upon several criteria, and an observer from the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) ensures that our process and selections exceed the standards required for continuing medical and nursing education credits.

As a result of this thorough evaluation process, the ACEC selects initial proposals in early Fall.  To ensure the optimal timeliness and relevance of the subject, speakers are immediately notified of the ACEC’s decision.  Those selected are provided with nearly four months to submit a first-draft presentation.  At the end of the calendar year, ACEC appointees review the drafts to make sure that the most up-to-date and relevant information is included in each presentation.   PIM also performs its final assessment at this juncture, assigning CME and/or CNE credits, as appropriate.

One month prior to Annual Conference, final presentations are due to HIMSS.  Within this ever changing dynamic industry of healthcare IT and management systems, this process presents the best practice on ensuring optimal, world-class education sessions.

Call for Proposal Deadlines 2010-2011

March 22: Call for Annual Conference Proposal opens via Web site
May 24: Call for Annual Conference Proposal closes
June 7 – July 26: Reviewers read and evaluate proposals (scoresheets) via review site
August 2 – August 13: Reviewers and ACEC members discuss via audioconference proposal selections
August 19-20: ACEC Committee members meet to schedule final program selection
First week in September: Proposal submitters notified of proposal acceptance/decline status
September 13 – 17: Speaker orientation webinars for speakers and reviewers
October – Speaker Acceptance Packet must be completed
November 8 – First draft of e-sessions materials due
December 20: First draft of presentation materials due to reviewer and HIMSS
December 20, 2010 – January 3, 2011: Review of presentations; comments sent back to presenters
January 3 – 17: Presenter revision of presentations (if necessary)
January 17: Final speaker presentation materials due
February 21 – 24: 2011 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, Orlando

If you have any questions regarding involvement in this process, please feel free to email your questions to Deb Clough, Manager of Annual Conference Education, at dclough@himss.org.