Congratulations to the HIMSS Iowa Chapter for earning Ambassador status of Chapter Advocacy for 2023-2024!

This incredible achievement is a testament to the dedication and engagement of our passionate members.

Throughout the year, our chapter has successfully developed and implemented an Iowa HIMSS advocacy action plan, conducted monthly meetings, and facilitated national advocacy engagements. Our website has been a hub of information, with monthly updates keeping everyone informed and involved.

We celebrated Health Equity Week from October 23-27 and hosted a Fall Conference featuring insightful presentations, including a keynote by Knitasha Washington on health equity. Our advocacy efforts were front and center with an Advocacy table that engaged over 100 attendees and 15 vendors, providing crucial information and a call to action on maternal health.

Our advocacy communication reached state legislators, raising awareness and influencing the impact of HSF 2623, focusing on awareness of nationwide networks for robust interoperability and statewide health data utility models. We proudly hosted an intern from Simpson College’s Health Leadership program, offering hands-on experience with HIMSS activities and real-world insights into health information exchange (HIE) processes during a site visit to Broadlawns Medical Center.

Looking ahead to FY2025, we aim to bolster HIE involvement and execute a Chapter Advocacy or Health IT Day with visits to congressional offices. Additionally, we plan to collaborate quarterly with other Midwest chapters to further our advocacy goals.

Thank you to all our members for your unwavering commitment and contributions. Special recognition to Susan and Trent our Advocacy/HIE Chapter Chairs for their coordination of efforts and dedication. Together, we are making a significant impact on health IT and advocacy in Iowa. Here’s to another year of remarkable achievements and continued progress!

For more information on HIMSS advocacy or to get involved use the links below.
https://www.himss.org/what-we-do-public-policy-advocacy/policy-center 
https://iowa.himss.org/get-involved/iowa-advocacy