Fall 2018 Newsletter
Highlights...

  • Letter from the President
  • Upcoming Events & Programs Update: 12/11 Holiday Social & Sock Drive
  • Advocacy Update
  • HIMSS Member Spotlight: Chad Hiner
  • Connect with the WA HIMSS Chapter: NEW: Clinical Informatics Workgroup
  • Sponsorship Update
Letter from the President
2018 Wrap Up, 2019 Updates
This first half of this Chapter year has proven to be an exciting one for me as I watch our new Board coalesce and determine the future goals and plans for the Chapter. I am so happy to see the growth and development of a team that is dedicated to growing and maturing our Chapter, and having fun while doing it! 

You will soon see that we are changing our Programs to meet the evolving needs our members. We recognize that many people are looking for opportunities for learning, as well as for collegial gatherings to meet and socialize with existing friends and new people. Long formal programs aren’t feasible for most people these days, so we are going to ensure we have multiple offerings for shorter programs, with topics that are in demand from our membership. Dwayne Neufeld, Programs Chair is leading the way in revamping and broadening the appeal of our Programs. 

We are continuing our focus on growing participation of members at provider organizations by forming a CMIO/CIO advisory council to advise our Board so we can better meet the diverse needs of the provider community. Look out for a new development in Clinical Informatics, being led by Kelly Nettle, RN.  Our newsletter will move to a quarterly format to avoid overloading your inbox, while providing timely and relevant information on Chapter events, but also be sure to follow HIMSS Washington on LinkedIn and Twitter.  

Lastly, the Board wants to take a more active role on advocacy issues related to Health IT in our state, particularly on issues that come before the Legislature. We are in the beginning phases of deciding a focus, so if you have an interest, Advocacy Chair Chad Hiner is leading that work. 

I look forward to a fun and interesting 2019 with our Chapter and look forward to seeing you at our events!

Gwen O'Keefe, MD FACP
Washington HIMSS President
Upcoming Events
12/11 Holiday Social & Sock Drive
Join us in celebrating the end of 2018, and ring in the new year! The HIMSS Board looks forward to meeting more of our members and hearing more of your ideas for programs. Enjoy some delicious drinks and food, network with other professionals, and learn about more HIMSS volunteer opportunities.

Please bring new socks for our sock drive for the homeless. Every pair of socks gets an entry into the raffle!

WHEN : Tuesday, 12/11; 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM 
WHERE : Optimism: The Brewery (Capitol Hill)
COST : $10 Employees of Provider Organizations, $30 HIMSS members, $35 non-HIMSS members; Includes two drinks and dinner
Mark Your Calendar: HIMSS National Conference
If you'll be attending the HIMSS National Conference in Orlando, we hope to see you at our Washington Chapter Event. More to come soon, but mark your calendars!

WHEN : Wednesday, February 13, 2019 from 4:30 - 6 PM
WHERE : HIMSS Nationals Conference (Orlando, FL), Exhibition Floor
Programs Chair Update
We are making a strategic move to focus on our provider community. In talking with our membership - from current Informatics students to CIO’s of our largest organizations - there is a common desire to stay connected with peers and learn new information. In 2019, look for more focused events with CME credits and easily distinguishable themes. We will have shorter events that are easier to fit into work life. Topics already being scheduled are Cybersecurity and the Opioid Crisis. We will keep our events fresh and relevant by looking to our Advisory Council, board and committees for input. If you are interested in being involved with programs, we have room for you. Find me on LinkedIn or email here . We’ll find a way to connect! 

Dwayne Neufeld
WA HIMSS Programs Chair
Advocacy Update
HIMSS 2018 Midterm Election Outcome and Analysis

Click here to read the HIMSS Public Policy review of the 2018 Midterm Election Outcome and Analysis.
HIMSS Federal Affairs Policy Update

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Quality Payment Program (QPP) Final Rule . The agency finalized several health IT-related provisions, including measures to pay separately for two newly-defined physicians’ services furnished using communication technology: brief virtual check-ins between clinicians and Medicare beneficiaries; and, remote evaluation of recorded video and/or images submitted to a clinician by an established patient. CMS is also promulgating final policies for Year 3 of QPP that advance CMS’ Meaningful Measures initiative and seek to reduce clinician burden, while focusing on patient outcomes and promoting interoperability between clinicians and beneficiaries.   READ MORE: HIMSS Federal Affairs Policy Update
HIMSS Member Spotlight: Chad Hiner
We sat down with Chad Hiner RN, MS to learn more about his role as the Advocacy Chair on the Washington HIMSS Board and his experience volunteering with HIMSS for the past decade. Chad is currently the Vice President, Industry Solutions at nVoq, Inc.

HIMSS:   How did you become involved with HIMSS?
Hiner:  As a graduate informatics student, I was encouraged to volunteer at the HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition in 2008. I was selected to work with the team that organizes and runs the Interoperability Showcase™. It was an amazing experience, and it opened my eyes to what is possible in the world of health IT. I continue to volunteer with the Interoperability Showcase™, fulfilling the role of a technical project manager, this will be my 11th year. I enjoy my time volunteering at the HIMSS annual conference and would encourage anyone interested in getting involved to do the same.

HIMSS:   What has been the most rewarding aspect of your involvement with HIMSS?
Hiner:  It is absolutely the people that I have met and the relationships that have been built. The networking opportunities are endless, and everyone is working towards a common goal, which is to advance health IT to improve patient care.  

HIMSS:   What do you hope to accomplish as the chair of the advocacy committee during your term as chair?
Hiner:  Effectively collaborate with State and Local officials to communicate the benefits of health IT and provide opportunities for our HIMSS WA chapter members to hear from our state leaders. As the Chair of the advocacy committee, I plan to serve as a connection point for members and policy makers on key health information and technology priorities. 

HIMSS: What advice would you give professionals just entering the healthcare or IT field?
Hiner:  I believe it is important to focus on the soft skills as much as the hard skills. The ability to communicate, to be a team player, build trust and act as a leader. Health IT takes an analytical and a logical mind. One must be able to see the big picture while focusing on the details.

Connect with the Washington HIMSS Chapter
Interested in joining the WA HIMSS Clinical Informatics Committee?
There is great interest in establishing a clinical informatics group to provide networking and educational opportunities to prepare and support Washington State clinicians in this role.  We would like to extend a special invitation to become a part of this new WA HIMSS Clinical Informatics community. Any clinician involved with or interested in IT health initiatives and have a direct working relationship with clinical informatics is encouraged to become a member. Please Email Kelly Nettle for additional information or interest in becoming a part of the community.

The role of the clinician in the use of technology to improve the delivery of patient care has evolved. Today, clinicians are leading change in the development and adoption of interoperable systems across the nation, showing quantifiable impact on population health. Today’s healthcare administrators, educators, and clinicians are being challenged to address information technology solutions in order to improve business, student, and patient care outcomes. Constant change in this relatively new and evolving field requires significant knowledge and strong leadership in order to avoid poor decisions and costly errors. Lets together make a difference and support each other’s development.
Become a Member
Not a member? Click here to join and receive discounted prices on Washington HIMSS events.

There are several different membership options available:

  • Regular membership: $199/year (includes local chapter membership)
  • Chapter/local membership: $39/year
  • Student membership: $30/year

If your workplace is an Organizational Affiliate , you have access to a complimentary HIMSS membership. Click here for more information on how to sign up.

Thanks to our Organizational Affiliate Members: Bellevue College, MultiCare Health System, Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Providence St. Joseph Health, Seattle Children's Hospital, and the Clinical Informatics MS Degree at the University of Washington.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Want to help plan one of our annual programs or join a committee? Volunteering for our outstanding events or getting involved with program planning, communications and sponsorship are great ways to expand your professional network and advance your career.
SPONSOR ARTICLE: INTRINIUM
Phishing: WHEN it happens to YOU...
Brought to you by our Washington HIMSS Platinum Sponsor:
By Stephen Heath – VP of Security – Intrinium 

As a security guy with well over a decade in the business, you’d think my phishing filter would be very high. For the most part, you’d be right. I see thousands of phishing attacks a year and we create dozens each year to test our customers as part of our training service.

However, I got phished and fell for it.
Hook. 
Line. 
Sinker. 

The worst part? It was a classic invoice phish that was totally beneath me. So, why on Earth did I fall for it?

The timing of the pretext was simply flawless.

On this very morning, we had a call with one of our partners regarding one of the many events we are doing soon. On the heels of this call, I received an invoice from the CFO of that partner regarding an outstanding balance. Without even thinking I assumed it was regarding the event and clicked through like so many of my phishing victims… (er…) “trainees” before … suddenly, I’m walking in the sewer without a decent pair of boots!

The minute I realized the error, I forwarded the payload and IOCs off to our SOC and IR team, confirmed that nothing executed, blocked everything, and reset my iPhone just to be safe. No damage was done. (Side note: O365 DID NOT flag it as malicious on the way in, but DID when I tried to pass along to the SOC. Classic!)

A quick phone call to the partner confirmed my suspicion: It turns out that the CFO for that company had their account compromised last night and the “invoices” went out to everyone this morning.

I have several points to take away from this experience. It can happen to anyone. Just because you are “smart” and have “security” in your title does not make you automatically immune. If a phish comes at the perfect time where trust is assumed…
You. Are. Still. Vulnerable.

Know your Incident Response Process. The email got past me, but I recognized the back end of the attack quickly. The Incident Response process began immediately so, it took less than 15 minutes to clean up.
Don’t forget… As much as you think it won’t be me, someone someday will get lucky and it WILL happen to YOU.

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