In a HIMSS2017 forum with two former administrators of CMS, the most recent head of the agency, Andy Slavitt, drew both applause and surprised looks from the audience over his pointed criticism of the health IT industry.

The 2017 HIMSS Leadership and Workforce Survey found a strong demand for health IT employees and continued growth in IT budgets for both vendors and providers. In some cases, however, providers and vendors aren’t sharing the same priorities.

IBM has announced several expansions and partnerships centered on its Watson cognitive computing system solutions. At the same time, however, the Watson-powered oncology product being developed at MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas has reportedly been placed on hold.

HIMSS 2017 in Orlando opened with IBM President and CEO Ginni Rometty proclaiming the advent of what she calls the “cognitive era” in healthcare, encouraging clinicians and IT to aggressively pursue and accept new technologies.

Utilizing a multi-faceted antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs can not only help a facility combat antibiotic-resistant infections, but it can also lead to cost savings even when it’s not a focal point of those efforts.

Healthcare leaders are confident their organizations will realize the full benefits of electronic health records (EHRs), while warning clinicians resistant to new technology to either take advantage of training opportunities or get left behind.

Keeping patient engaged in their care becomes difficult as soon as they leave the physician’s office. As a way to keep physicians close, in the pocket of patients to be exact, mobile care management systems keep physicians close and informed while also keeping patients on track to healthy living. Join Susan Beaton, RN, BSN, CPN, CPC, and Jacop Sattelmair, DSc, MSc, at HIMSS 2017 as they review how mobile technology is bringing patients into the fold of their own care.

In a Dec. 16 letter to CMS, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) discussed the need for 2017 to be a transition year with the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). CHIME expressed hoped CMS would lengthen the timeline for the industry's MACRA transition into 2018.