Foundation for the NIH and HIMSS Announce Strategic Partnership to Broaden Annual mHealth Summit

WASHINGTON, DC, April 12, 2011 — The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) announced today an extensive strategic partnership that will expand the already successful mHealth Summit. The largest event focused on mobile health, the 2011 mHealth Summit will be held from December 5-7 in the Washington, DC area.

Leveraging the strengths and expertise of FNIH and existing mHealth Summit partners — the mHealth Alliance and the National Institutes of Health — the new partnership with HIMSS and its expertise in health IT and management, will create increased opportunities within the mobile health ecosystem for the 2011 mHealth Summit. Through this partnership, FNIH and HIMSS will provide targeted educational and networking opportunities at this year’s summit.

“We look forward to the contributions of HIMSS as we work to deliver cutting-edge information to attendees as well as access to high-profile decision-makers and thought leaders,” said Richard Scarfo, Director of the mHealth Summit at FNIH. “Our decision to partner with HIMSS is based on continued efforts to build on the success of past events, and to broaden the scope of the event by providing new offerings, resources and insights to our attendees.”

Partnerships in the mHealth Summit are based on relationships that add value, knowledge and experience to the field of mHealth research and technology-enabled solutions. The HIMSS relationship is founded on the Society’s health IT expertise and the readiness of these technologies to be implemented. This new collaborative partnership creates the framework needed to help shape the future of mHealth and move the field of mHealth research and solutions forward beyond the Summit.

“HIMSS welcomes this opportunity to partner with FNIH on the mHealth Summit as we develop end-user-focused educational sessions and the Health IT Pavilion on the exhibit floor,” said H. Stephen Lieber, CAE, HIMSS President and CEO. “Both of these additions to the conference will give attendees innovative options to help them learn more about mobile health applications to help improve healthcare delivery with IT.”

The 2011 mHealth Summit connects high-profile leaders in multiple industries from across the mobile health ecosystem to advance cross-sectoral collaboration in the use of wireless technology to improve health outcomes across the globe. Coupled with the new partnership with HIMSS, the 2011 mHealth Summit will build on prior-year success and offer a robust and comprehensive program agenda, focusing on the business and policy perspective of mHealth to foster in-depth dialogue and help identify and accelerate sustainable mHealth business models.

For more information:
Visit www.mhealthsummit.org for registration and conference details.

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To exhibit in the HIMSS Health IT Pavilion, please contact:

Becky Washler: 319-393-3117 or [email protected]
About the mHealth Summit
The 2011 mHealth Summit, a partnership of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and the mHealth Alliance, is the leading conference advancing cross-sector collaboration in the use of wireless technology to improve health outcomes. The 2011 mHealth Summit, to be held December 5-7 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, will connect leaders in government, private sector/industry, academia and not-for-profit organizations to advance discussion and decision-making related to the intersection of mobile technology, health research, and policy in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.mhealthsummit.org.

About the Foundation for NIH
Established by the United States Congress to support the mission of the NIH—improving health through scientific discovery in the search for cures—the Foundation for NIH is a leader in identifying and addressing complex scientific and health issues. The foundation is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization that raises private-sector funds for a broad portfolio of unique programs that complement and enhance NIH priorities and activities. For additional information about the Foundation for NIH, please visit www.fnih.org

About HIMSS
HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 50 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations have offices in Chicago, Washington, DC, Brussels, Singapore, Leipzig, and other locations across the United States. HIMSS represents more than 35,000 individual members, of which more than two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations. HIMSS also includes over 520 corporate members and more than 120 not-for-profit organizations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, and research initiatives designed to promote information and management systems’ contributions to improving the quality, safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. To learn more about HIMSS and to find out how to join us and our members in advancing our cause, please visit our website at www.himss.org.

Press Contact:
Richard Folkers
Director of Communications
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(301) 435-2613