HIMSS News
HIMSS and Medical Banking Project Unification General FAQs
Why are HIMSS and the Medical Banking Project “unifying?”
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the Medical Banking Project collaboration brings together two organizations with similar organizational mission statements with both focused on leveraging IT to achieve efficiencies, cost savings and overall improvement in healthcare delivery.
The unification combines the subject matter expertise of MBProject with the organizational strength of HIMSS to achieve the most effective voice for influencing policies and building programming for the medical banking audience.
How did the unification come about - who approached whom?
Discussions began based on MBProject’s desire to strengthen its presence and programs and HIMSS’ desire to build expertise in the area of medical banking to expand its overall areas of focus.
What is the effective date of the unification?
November 1, 2009
How will the Medical Banking Project be incorporated into HIMSS?
The legal entity Medical Banking Project will cease and become a part of HIMSS as the HIMSS Medical Banking Project or HIMSS MBProject.
What are the benefits of the unification to each organization?
The unification strengthens the commitment of both HIMSS and MBProject to better serve their members and the industry, providing leadership in financial transactions and healthcare information technology to improve the delivery of patient care.
This new alignment provides a banking technology stakeholder perspective to the Society that positions HIMSS as a single industry resource with all major financial, administrative and clinical stakeholders on information and management systems issues.
The HIMSS MBProject also aligns two expanding areas – health IT and banking – to create a new HIMSS membership community in medical banking. This new focus fosters much-needed education and cross-industry dialogue between the banking and healthcare IT communities to expand and build current HIMSS MBProject programs that include industry forums, work groups and the annual institute.
How will HIMSS MBProject be structured within the Society?
HIMSS MBProject will be a distinct functional area within the Society to ensure the community’s identity, focus, accomplishment and accountability. HIMSS MBProject will operate under the strategic direction and guidance of the HIMSS Board and MBProject leadership on the HIMSS executive team with MBProject Executive Director John Casillas joining HIMSS as Senior Vice President over this content area.
How will HIMSS MBProject be represented among HIMSS’ leadership?
HIMSS will take the following steps to ensure that HIMSS MBProject is represented among the HIMSS leadership.
- HIMSS will form the HIMSS MBProject Advisory Council. The initial council will be composed of the 2009 MBProject President’s Council, who will serve terms on the Advisory Council equal to their existing MBProject terms.
- HIMSS will form additional HIMSS MBProject Work Groups to identify or develop member programs and services.
What will happen to the MBProject staff?
Mr. John Casillas, Executive Director of the MBProject, joins HIMSS as Senior Vice President managing the medical banking content area.
What will members see at the next Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition?
At the 2010 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, MBProject members will find programming for medical banking with the final content and format still to be determined.
Other educational programs at the conference may include poster sessions, new product pavilions and interoperability demonstrations. Members of MBProject, some of whom already participate in the HIMSS Annual HIMSS Conference and other HIMSS activities, will be able to interact with the industry professionals expected at the conference for the educational programming and exhibits.
What programs will be available in the policy area?
HIMSS will incorporate the MBProject public policy issues and medical banking content into its public policy agenda as appropriate.
How will membership fees be handled for this new HIMSS community?
Membership fees will be handled as noted below:
Current HIMSS Members:
- For current HIMSS members, you can participate in the HIMSS MBProject activities at no additional charge. Your individual or corporate membership entitles you to participate in the new HIMSS MBProject activities just like any other HIMSS initiative. More information will be sent to you soon regarding these activities and how you can participate in them.
Current MBProject Corporate Members:
- For Corporate members of MBProject who have not been HIMSS members, your renewal date will be the same as it is currently with MBProject. As that date approaches, you will receive information about the various HIMSS corporate member dues levels in order to determine the level right for you. In the meantime, you will receive the HIMSS Corporate member benefits of the level closest to your current MBProject membership level.
Current Dual Members:
Corporate Members of MBProject and Corporate Members of HIMSS
- For those who are both a Corporate member of MBProject and a Corporate member of HIMSS, you will not be charged additional fees in 2010 and beyond for participation in this area. That is, your HIMSS membership fees will include participation in the same and expanded HIMSS MBProject-driven programs.
Does this alignment with a vendor organization change how HIMSS will work with other corporate members who are vendors?
HIMSS does not represent any brand, although many members of HIMSS work for companies that sell branded products that provide healthcare solutions through information technology. As with other membership communities within HIMSS, HIMSS MBProject is designed as a separate functional area to ensure identity, focus, accomplishment and accountability. Volunteer leaders maintain a sense of ownership while remaining within the overall strategic direction determined by the HIMSS board.
How many members does MBProject currently have?
Current membership of the MBProject is 42 corporate members with 163 individuals who are participating in MBProject activities.
How many members does HIMSS currently have?
HIMSS is a comprehensive healthcare-stakeholder membership organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology and management systems for the betterment of healthcare.
Founded in 1961 with offices in Chicago, Washington D.C., Brussels, Singapore, and other locations across the United States, HIMSS represents more than 23,000 individual members, of which 73% work in patient care delivery settings. HIMSS also includes over 380 corporate members and nearly 30 not-for-profit organizations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems.
