HIMSS Digital Influencer Program: Strengthening the Connective Tissue of Health IT

The final day of the 2019 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition not only marked the end of another invigorating year of networking, education and inspiration. It was also a glimpse in to a new beginning for HIMSS, its members and the health community at large. Those in attendance and following along via social media had the chance to get a sneak peek in to HIMSS’s renewed commitment to you—our champions for health and wellness.

One month prior to this announcement, HIMSS also revealed changes to its social media ambassador program—a six-year running, rotating volunteer program of 20 innovators who championed the use of social media to advance the efficacy and awareness of health IT.

Proximity among these announcements is no coincidence. The refocusing of HIMSS’s vision, mission and organizational strategy is a “deconstructive-reconstructive” process that requires a reevaluation of everything we do and how we do it—the HIMSS social media ambassador program included.

The most notable shift in the program will be taking efforts beyond social media alone— integrating this work across all relevant digital media platforms—inviting 10 health, information and technology influencers to build a stronger connective tissue between the mission to reform healthy globally and the people who are making it happen.

Strength in Connection

Like its global members and audiences, HIMSS aims to be a catalyst for change in a health culture that is rife with inefficiencies, waste and the daily challenges in caring for populations. The stakes are high, and time is of the essence. Lives and well-being are on the line.

Influencers, teaming up with HIMSS’s experience and its members’ expertise, bring a strength, urgency, and context to help synthesize the nature of necessary solutions that will sustain meaningful progress in this moment and beyond.

If the HIMSS social media ambassador program has taught us anything, it has been the power of connection. Facilitating deeper connection among care practitioners, digital innovators and patients, consumers, caregivers who live within these systems ensures that no matter what, diversity and inclusivity of thought leadership are interoperable while our data and systems may still fall short—for now.

Building on six years of trends discussed, relationships nurtured, ideas explored provides the foundation for a rich and meaningful step forward—ushering in a revolutionary era for health and wellness along with a more robust integrated digital platform that helps sustain the cause.

This is the why now driving the new HIMSS digital influencer program.

Program Objectives

The objectives surrounding this program are highly aspirational, but equally attainable with the contribution of passionate, influential leaders in health. The following will be rigorously measured—both contextually and with hard performance metrics—to ensure both HIMSS and this program are delivering on their aligned mission:

• Strengthen industry discourse through inclusion and diversity of perspectives
• Unearth and nurture emerging industry opportunities
• Elevate key existing and inspiring new industry priorities
• Highlight and celebrate leadership that supports the reformation of health
• Build stronger information bridges between the industry and HIMSS to accelerate innovation and inform relevant thought leadership
• Build more accessible and transparent exchanges of ideas between influencers, the industry and HIMSS leadership
• Develop content and engage audiences around all relevant industry milestones throughout the year—not just HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition
• Create clear, symbiotic value for participants and HIMSS alike

Program Opportunities

HIMSS engages millions of users yearly with its digital content and thought leadership platforms. The power of timely, resourceful, rich, informative content is undeniable and serves as the foundation for this program. With the collective network surrounding HIMSS and its membership, the following content opportunities will invigorate a new digital discourse on the future of health:

• State of the industry thought leadership articles
• Regular feedback exercises on HIMSS priorities and initiatives
• Video and face-to-face topical roundtables with HIMSS leaders
• Monthly check-ins, two-way trend reporting
• Video interview and podcast opportunities
• Amplification of influencer contributions across relevant HIMSS digital channels

While nourishing digital communities with great content is important, so is equipping influencers with all the tools to help realize that vision. Therefore, the following influencer benefits will also be included in the program:

• VIP, complimentary access to select HIMSS events, membership offerings
• Exclusive access to HIMSS leadership and subject matter experts
• Consistent features on HIMSS digital content platforms and distribution channels
• Behind-the-scenes access to HIMSS initiatives and thought leadership operations
• Priority consideration for event and content development opportunities
• Unrivaled personal branding opportunities

Application Criteria

The timeframe for accepting applications for the HIMSS digital influencer program will be one month. Application criteria are a mix of quantitative and qualitative measurements that will holistically be considered in making the final selection of no more than 10 influencers to serve over the course of a year from program start date.

• Demonstrated leadership, innovation in health, information and technology
• Creative, practical vision for addressing health challenges with information and technology
• Strong, measureable, aspirational goals for participation in the program
• Thoughtful, far-reaching social media footprint
• Authoritative, consistent content footprint
• Passion for inspiring others