3/05/2020
Adam Husney, MD, Chief Executive Officer
Each year, we look forward to meeting with our customers, connecting with the healthcare community, and becoming inspired by leaders in our industry at the HIMSS Conference.
Over the past few weeks, we have been monitoring and evaluating the situation around COVID-19 to ensure that we are following the safety guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other health authorities. We’ve also been taking necessary measures to protect the health and well-being of our employees.
Our mission to help people make better health decisions; our values of teamwork, respect, and do the right thing; and our concern for our employees led to the decision to cancel the Healthwise presence at HIMSS20. We fully support the decision made by HIMSS today to cancel the 2020 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition.
Although I believe the risk to any single individual is low, the public health issues are more complicated. These issues include facilitating transmission to those at high risk, disruptions related to quarantines at the site or upon return, and widespread airline cancellations as a result of illness. We’re monitoring the situation closely and working to ensure that our clients have the health content about COVID-19 that they need to keep their patients and members informed.
While we’re disappointed that we won’t be together in person at HIMSS this year, we are planning to connect with our community through virtual meetings and a webinar. Watch for more details and registration information in the coming weeks.