#HIMSS17 Mix Tape


On February 19th 2017, the annual HIMSS conference (#HIMSS17) will be held in Orlando FL. It will once again be the largest gathering of Healthcare IT folks in North America with over 45,000 people expected.

Every year I look forward to HIMSS. It is the best place to see what is happening in the industry, hear the challenges that lay ahead and see what the smart minds in #healthIT are investing in. Although the sessions, keynotes and exhibit hall are all amazing, the best part of the conference is meeting people face to face – especially at the meetups and spontaneous get-togethers. I love catching up with friends that I haven’t seen in a year and meeting new ones for the first time.

For the past couple of years, I have used HIMSS as an opportunity to compile a soundtrack for healthcare – a Mix Tape that can be enjoyed during the conference (see last year’s Mix Tape here). This annual HIMSS Mix Tape is a fun way to reflect on where we have been and where we are going. As with prior years, I asked friends and colleagues on social media for the song they believe best represents healthcare. I also asked them to explain their selection.

Below are the songs chosen for the #HIMSS17 Mix Tape. What would your selection be? Let us know in the comments.

Enjoy.

You’ll be back – Hamilton. Chosen by Regina Holliday @ReginaHolliday.

Because that song could be the words of any doctor who wants his patient compliant and silent and any government that denies care. Hence we must have revolution.

Shine – Camouflage. Chosen by Nick Van Terheyden @drnic1.

After many potential choices ranging from the deep and dark Wadruna by Helvegen through “America” by Young the Giant that celebrates the immigration to the uplifting dance song that captured what seemed to transpire for the year was “Don’t Stop the Madness” by DJ Hush and featuring Fatman Scoop (what an awesome name) I settled on Shine. That captured the spirit of what I need this year: This is the world where we have to live / there’s so much that we have to give / so try to Shine Shine Shine within your mind / Shine from the Inside / if you Shine Shine Shine within your mind.

Can’t you hear me knockin – Rolling Stones. Chosen by Linda Sotsky @EMRAnswers.

In my own life, I started my Mothers  fight for data 17 years ago. As collective patients, caregivers and advocates we are STILL  knockin and screamin “give me my damned data” Can’t you hear us knockin?

Faith – George Michael. Chosen by Rasu Shrestha MD @RasuShrestha.

My HIMSS17 playlist is inspired by some of the best singers we said goodbye to in the last 12 months – an acknowledgement that, even as we continue to push the envelope in healthcare in so many ways, life is fragile, beautiful and melodious in every one of our ups and downs. Other finalists: When Doves Cry (Prince), Rebel Rebel (David Bowie) and The Heat is On (Glenn Frey)

We’re not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister. Chosen by Mandi Bishop @MandiBPro.

The disenfranchised, the chronically or severely ill, the caregivers, and the underserved communities will rise up and be heard in the face of healthcare weaponization. We will not remain silent. We will not take it.

Sit Still Look Pretty – Daya. Chosen by Geeta Nayer MD @gnayyar

I chose this to represent the HIT chicks movement in health tech. Increasingly women are coming to the table and taking senior leadership roles in health tech which we so very much need as women remain the primary healthcare decision maker in the home with “doctor mom” being the go to for any and every illness first! Spouses rely on their wife to be the care takers when parents get older and when kids are sick and need to run to the pediatrician etc. Also, HIMSS for the first time is giving the women in tech awards which itself is a big statement.

Bring on the Rain – Jo Dee Messina and Tim McGraw. Chosen by John Lynn @techguy

We’ve got challenges all around us in healthcare, but I say “Tomorrow’s Another day, and I’m thirsty anyway, so Bring on the Rain.”  Things will get better in healthcare because so many amazing people work in healthcare and battle through the rain.

Cautionary Tale – Dylan LeBlanc. Chosen by Steve Sisko @ShimCode

A cautionary tale is a story with a moral message warning of the consequences of certain actions, inactions, or character flaws. Healthcare players – CMS, other government agencies, large vendor companies, special interest groups and others – seem to be stuck in a continual cycle of Dictate, Demand, Deviate and Destroy. Half-baked programs, ‘standards,’ reimbursement schemes, “quality measures,” and other mandates are dictated to providers, health plans and others on the receiving end.  Then revisions, waivers and deviations are made over the course of a year or two before they’re eventually destroyed. When will we learn from these cautionary tales? Don’t offer up help that you know that I won’t be needin’ / Cause I do it to myself, like I never get tired of bleedin’

You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Rolling Stones. Chosen by Don Lee @dflee30

Too often in healthcare we only want to look at solutions that solve for 100% of the possibilities, have proven ROI and that are already being used by our peers. That severely limits the possibilities for improvement. There’s no such thing as a sure thing. So, for 2017 I hope we can break this cycle and focus on incremental improvements. Take some shots. Be willing to fail. Think: “what can I do today that won’t require a huge budget and 1000 meetings, but might make something 5, 10 or 20% better?”.5% better today is better than “we might possibly be able to be 100% better 36-48 months from now”. So, “you can’t always get what you want, but if you try, sometime you find, you get what you need”

Livin’ On The Edge – Aerosmith. Chosen by Matt Fisher @Matt_R_Fisher

The whole healthcare industry is balancing on a razor’s edge in many respects. What will happen with the ACA, can EMRs meet their promise and what will value based cared do? All of these unanswered questions mean that these lyrics hold true: Tell me what you think about our situation / Complication, aggravation / Is getting to you

One Step Away – Casting Crowns. Chosen by Jennifer Dennard @JennDennard

While it’s a praise song at its core, its title makes me think of how close the healthcare industry is to interoperability. And yet there are still a few “small” hurdles we need to overcome. (Plus, my daughter is singing this song in her school talent show, so I have developed quite a soft spot for it!)

Record Year – Eric Church. Chosen by Joe Lavelle @Resultant

In hope that all my #HealthIT / #PatientAdvocate / #SoMe / #ThoughtLeader colleagues ignore and overcome the nonsense of the current political climate to keep making HUGE progress on the most important healthcare initiatives like Telemedicine, Interoperability, a National Patient ID,  Care Coordination, alternate payment models like Direct Primary Care, and more.  Let’s all have a Record Year in 2017!

Fight Song – Rachel Platten. Chosen by Max Stroud @MMaxwellStroud

This goes out to all the people in HealthIT that are working diligently for their vision of the future of healthcare.   In a year of major political shifts and possible policy changes, it will be important to maintain focus on our passions and continuing to move toward innovation and improvement of HealthIT.   This goes out to patient advocates from #epatients to the walking gallery, To the folks living the #startupgrind because of thier passion for a better tomorrow, and to the #HealthITChicks working towards gender parity. Like a small boat / On the ocean / Sending big waves / Into motion / Like how a single word / Can make a heart open / I might only have one match / But I can make an explosion”

Crosseyed and Painless – Talking Heads. Chosen by David Harlow @healthblawg.

There was a line/ There was a formula. But we are now in a post-factual environment. Facts all come with points of view/ Facts don’t do what I want them to/ Facts just twist the truth around. We need to focus on achievable goals, on implementing solutions that make sense independent of regulatory engines that have driven so much of health IT over the past eight years.

What Do You Mean – Justin Bieber. Chosen by Lygeia Ricciardi @Lygeia

There’s a lot of talk in health IT that you can’t take it at face value. For example, everyone says they support interoperability, and yet… we’re not there yet. Also, there’s a lot of talk about patient engagement, but is it really about involving patients in their care… or just getting them to better “comply”? Finally, is Trump really going to get rid of Obamacare, or just rebrand it? What *do* you mean?

Addicted to Love – Raymond Penfield. Chosen by Charles Webster MD @wareFLO

Raymond Penfield was 94 when he recorded Addicted to Love and became an Youtube sensation. He made it to 98. Here is his obituary. BTW he was a graduate from the University of Illinois as was I! I hope I have as much energy and spirit and health into my 90s!

Video Killed the Radio Star – Buggles. Chosen by Joe Babaian @JoeBabaian

Why? Because times are changing and status quo is being cast aside.

Truckin’ – Grateful Dead. Chosen by Brian Ahier @ahier

Because this ♫♪♪♪♫♪? ♫♪ What a long strange trip it’s been ♫♪♪♪♫♪?

Under Pressure – David Bowie and Queen. Chosen by Colin Hung @Colin_Hung

Healthcare in the US and around the world has never been under more pressure than it has now. Patients are expecting more (as they should!), governments are trying to regulate everything from drug prices to reimbursements, employers are looking to curb healthcare costs and there is tremendous pressure on the healthIT industry to work together. To me, this song is the perfect collaboration – an example of what happens when two amazing artists come together. We need more of this type of collaboration in healthcare. Plus there is one verse that is very applicable to 2017: And love dares you to care for / The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night / And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of / Caring about ourselves

For a full #HIMSS17 Mix Tape Playlist on Spotify, click here or play the embedded player below.

About the author

Colin Hung

Colin Hung is the co-founder of the #hcldr (healthcare leadership) tweetchat one of the most popular and active healthcare social media communities on Twitter. Colin speaks, tweets and blogs regularly about healthcare, technology, marketing and leadership. He is currently an independent marketing consultant working with leading healthIT companies. Colin is a member of #TheWalkingGallery. His Twitter handle is: @Colin_Hung.

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