One of the hottest topics in management information systems is Health Information Exchange (HIE), the mobilization and moving of healthcare data across organizations within a region, community or hospital system. In the United States, the regulations are still being defined for this complex concept.
Students and alumni from the Master of Science in Management Information Systems (MSMIS) program in the College of Business Administration at Florida International University (FIU) heard fascinating insights on the topic firsthand during the latest in the Distinguished CIO Lunch & Learn Series. The event, hosted by FIU’s MSMIS department, was held November 5th on campus..
“It was an exceptional opportunity to hear not only the national direction of HIE but also what form it’s taking in South Florida,” said moderator Monica Chiarini Tremblay, a faculty member in the Department of Decision Sciences and Information Systems. “Because health information is a growing field with abundant openings, it’s an excellent career choice for MSMIS students.”
Panelists were:
- Gloria Deckard, associate dean, R. Kirk Landon Undergraduate School of Business, FIU
- Melissa E. Hargiss, director, Audacious Inquiry, LLC
- Bob Olmedo, consultant, South Florida Regional Extension Center
- Christopher B. Sullivan, HIE manager, South Florida Regional Extension Center
“Important topics such as the model for the state and HIE sustainability at the regional, state and national level were discussed,” Tremblay said.
Graduate student Todd Smith, one of 90 people who attended, calls HIE a positive change in the healthcare environment. But he learned that no one size solution fits all.
“The value proposition of a sustainable solution is unquestionable,” he said. “The efficiency and quality of healthcare will improve from the perspective of the patient, the physician and the payer. However, change of this magnitude is not as simple as setting a policy to be enforced immediately.”
Right place, right time.
Tremblay reported that the session might prove to help launch a new business.
“Three alumni in attendance talked about starting their own Health IT consulting company and one of the panelists offered to mentor them,” she said. “You just never know what will happen at a Lunch & Learn.”
