My thoughts are with our members who are in the lockdown States of Victoria and NSW. As Greater Sydney is in its 14th week of lockdown (who’s counting?), I am gaining an insight into what our Victorian colleagues have endured. Our friends in Victoria are in their 6th lockdown since the pandemic started in 2020. All I can say is be kind to yourself and focus one day at a time.
More than ever it’s time for us to stay connected and support each other by coming together as peers. While I remain disappointed we are not meeting face-to-face, I am pleased the 2021 HIMAA National Conference will go ahead on 25-28 October, albeit in a virtual format. Most importantly, this will still allow us to exchange and share our passion for the Health Information Management profession.
The HIMAA National Conference is the largest HIM event in the industry and the only one that showcases the industry’s key issues in one setting. The program has been converted from 3 day face-to-face to 4 day virtual and features several high profile keynotes, abstract presentations, workshops, a Coding and Classification stream, Special Interest Group meetings and online social events.
Keynote Speakers include:
- Amanda Cattermole PSM, CEO, Australian Digital Health Agency
- Dr Stephen Parnis, Consultant Emergency Physician, St Vincent’s Hospital, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and Werribee Mercy Hospital in Melbourne
- Leanne Wells, CEO, Consumer Health Forum
- Sophy Athan, Chair, Health Issues Centre
- Karen Cusack, Health Complaints Commission, Victoria
- Bronwyn Taylor, Principal eHealth Advisor at the Department of Health
- Neville Board, Chief Digital Health Officer, Victoria
- Duane Attree, CEO, Health Roundtable
- Dr Rahul Khanna, Director, Innovation & Medical Governance, Phoenix Australia, University of Melbourne
- Dr Felicity Sinclair-Ford, Clinical Documentation Improvement Australia
- Stella Rowlands, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service
- Mike Kertes, National Director, Clinical Documentation Improvement Australia
Clinical Updates include:
- Anaesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine – Hospital Acquired Complications Dr Richard G Horton, Director of the Department of Anaesthesia, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Western Health
- Delirium Dr Ronald Leong, Geriatrician at Alfred Health
- Types of Blood Products, Reasons for Transfusions and Transfusion Reactions Slavica Curcic, Blood Management Clinical Nurse Consultant
- PPM/Defibrillators Dr Shane Nanayakkara, Interventional and Structural Cardiologist
We are bringing the virtual program at a significant discount, $500 less for members and $860 for non-members, for the same content of the face-to-face Conference. Online social events are included to replace the Welcome Drinks and Conference Dinner to bring some fun and networking opportunities. There is no price increase from 2019, yet we have more program available to you than the virtual Conference last year offering additional CPD points. There are several virtual registration options available, including 1-day and 2-day bundles and group discounts. We are also packaging 2021 HIMAA National Virtual Conference registration with organisational and individual membership to provide further discounts. Please contact membership@himaa.org.au to enquire or if you are experiencing a financial hardship, please contact our Conference Organisers.
Thank you for your support for the Podcast Series which are free to members and delivered directly into your email inbox. It was great to hear from the VIC Branch Convenor, Dwayne Richards. In the next episode we will hear from Kara Pollard, the NSW Branch Convenor.
Our Webinar Series continues as well. We had a fabulous turnout and positive feedback for Future of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and Health Data Design with Heather Grain. One attendee wrote to me immediately after the webinar expressing, Just wanted to say how fascinating today’s webinar was. Heather is an absolute trailblazer and so great at representing our profession. I hope we all have the opportunity to learn from her and help participate in OpenEHR. I’m appreciative to receive a note such as this as the webinars are designed as a forum for our members to update and exchange their work and ideas. We thank Heather for sharing her expertise and I extend the invitation to our members to put themselves forward in showcasing their knowledge by leading or participating in the webinars. Our next webinar will be on 13 October 2021, presented by Dreda Heard, on CDI Programs & Projects: Supporting Engagement and Quality Documentation through Standards Alignment. You can register now.
With the National Conference in October, this HIMAA Matters issue serves as a combined September/October issue. As always I remain keen to work with you in leading HIMAA to serve the health information profession. Please feel free to reach out to me to chat.
Jae Redden
Chief Executive Officer
ceo@himaa.org.au
