First Time HIMSS: Parker Redding, Banyan Social

One of the main themes of HIMSS was using digital tools to manage your patient engagement and social engagement online. Banyan Social was there for their first conference introducing their digital solution for storing patient permissions to post reviews or photos online. I spoke with Parker Redding from Banyan Social. They were a first time Exhibitor at HIMSS and I wanted to hear what their impressions were from the conference.  Banyan Social is a platform with marketing tools for providers including digital storage of HIPAA forms and integration with Google reviews. From their website:  “Extend your reach and grow your practice with real-time reviews, HIPAA-compliant social media posts and automated practice listings.”

What was your first health IT conference like?

“Honestly, I thought it was pretty cool. It was almost overwhelming how many people were there. It was the biggest event I’ve ever been to. It was cool to see how many people are in the Health IT space. We were constantly busy at our booth and with how many people came to our booth we didn’t really have the opportunity to explore in depth. We are unique in the Health IT space and aren’t always the perfect fit for these database guys and those kinds of people but they were always willing to refer us to the right people and who to talk to.

One thing that I liked about this event is that even if they don’t think it’s a good fit everyone is willing to be open and have a conversation. Everyone there is trying to learn more and share knowledge it’s not just “I’m trying to get my CE credits and leave.”  It’s about learning something new – about gaining knowledge.

A lot of the people who were first time exhibitors that we talked to told us how it was crazy how big it was and how many people were there. The conference was really diverse in terms of experts from different countries.  It was cool to see the big EMR or the IBM booth and to see how much effort they put into their space.

What were your goals?

Our main goal was to create partnerships with other companies in the healthcare industry and to learn more about the healthcare IT industry and how our business fits in with this. We wanted to share our HIPAA approved social media app and how doctors/clinics can use social media and reviews to engage patients.

What was your favorite part of HIMSS?

Honestly, speaking with a pediatrician that owns multiple practices the last day and learning about why he’s been in the medical industry.  Learning about how much he cared about his patients and how he knew he could make more money in another industry. It’s amazing to see how passionate people are about healthcare and being positive. He gives up money because he’s passionate about helping with children.

What did you learn about Health IT?

Bunch of nerds.  Just kidding.  I love the nerds and the developers those are my people.

What do you wish you could do differently?

I would bring more people to have at our booth. We had a consistent flow of people stopping to talk with us that we didn’t get to spend the time we wanted to connect with other companies and learn more about the IT healthcare world. You can’t complain about having a busy booth.  I would take an Uber to the conference. Trying to find a parking spot and walking a mile to get to your booth was difficult.

About the author

Janae Sharp

Healthcare as a Human Right. Physician Suicide Loss Survivor.
Janae writes about Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Data Analytics, Engagement and Investing in Healthcare. Founder of the Sharp Index.
twitter: @coherencemed

   

Categories