President Trump to address HIMSS20 on Monday
This is the first time a sitting president will address the annual global healthcare conference that attracts about 40,000 people.
President Donald Trump will speak at the 2020 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition on Monday to discuss his digital healthcare agenda, initiatives to infuse innovation into healthcare and interoperability, according to Karen Groppe, senior director of Strategic Communications for HIMSS.
President Trump will speak on Monday, March 9, in the Valencia Ballroom in the Orange County Convention Center. It is anticipated he will give his remarks at 4 p.m.
This is the first time a sitting U.S. president will address the conference during their term. Former presidential speakers have included Bill Clinton in 2013 and George W. Bush in 2015.
"The White House wants to engage with HIMSS. It wants to be a part of our conversation and wants to partner with us to further the digital health agenda of the United States. That is really exciting," Groppe said. "That clearly should demonstrate the relevance HIMSS has as well as the work HIMSS' membership and staff are doing. It's being recognized by the president."
Trump's speech will touch on various aspects of interoperability, innovation and digital health. If past HIMSS conferences are any indication, his appearance may also be timed with the long-awaited final rules on information blocking and patient access from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.
Another probable topic of discussion will be an update on the Trump Administration's ongoing response to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
HIMSS offered its own update Monday, noting that it has "assembled an external panel of medical professionals to further advise our evidence-based decision-making and to ensure the safety of the healthcare community currently planning to assemble in Florida for HIMSS20."
Two years ago during HIMSS18, White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma laid out the Administration's plan for interoperability. For all of America's military sophistication, for example, the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs still struggle to exchange information, Kushner said at the time. The goal for the seamless exchange of health information has yet to be fully realized.
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, the parent organization of Healthcare Finance News, has an ongoing relationship with federal agencies and the administration.
The annual conference attracts about 40,000 attendees to hear the latest trends on healthcare IT innovation, get updates on federal policy and new initiatives from healthcare leaders.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com
