From HIMSS with Dr. Jayne 4/18/23

It was a slow start at HIMSS on Monday. I attended a couple of conference calls for my day job and got a little work done in the morning. I waited by my designated shuttle stop and never saw a bus, so decided to take the multi-mile walk from my hotel to the convention center.

Although it was a little breezy, it was definitely good to be out and moving. I had planned ahead and had a headband to control my hair and keep my ears warm, so that was a plus. Not to mention that I know I’ll be well off script this week with my eating habits, so getting ahead with some exercise was likely a good plan. The sidewalks were dry and the snow flurries were actually kind of pretty. Had I taken the shuttle, I would have missed this interesting art installation with headless forms that was on the north side of Michigan Avenue.

With my early afternoon arrival, there was virtually no line at the badge pickup station I found. Apparently, there are several throughout the complex, and it felt like every time I turned around, I was running into one. The conference bag was standard issue, blue this year, but I took a pass since I brought my usual trusty tote. The only other giveaway was a pen.

I scored a notebook at the Slack “scan your badge and win a prize” kiosk that was also dispensing PopSockets and other trinkets. It was nearly empty by the time I stopped by. Hopefully, they will restock it for future arrivals. Being at McCormick Place felt strange and unfamiliar. I was struggling to remember the last HIMSS conference I attended here. It feels like there’s been a bit of construction since the last one, or maybe my post-pandemic memory just isn’t what it once was.

I had an unexpected encounter with an old friend that led to a long discussion of hobbies and life outside of work, which was refreshing indeed. I clued him into a niche business that I’m working with that has quite a backstory and which provides an interesting case study for entrepreneurs being in the right place at the right time. Following that, I had a pre-scheduled meeting and used the CXO Networking Lounge in the West building. It was nice to have a space where I could plan a meeting and know that there would be chairs rather than wandering in search of seats like I’ve had to do at other conferences. The Lounge was nearly empty, but I suspect it will be hopping later in the week.

My plan for the week includes attending multiple sessions, chatting with a number of vendors and organizations that I’d like to do business with, and looking for new solutions that will inspire or delight me while also bringing value to the patients I serve. Normally I try to attend a number of social events, but this year, I’m opting for quality over quantity, planning some deep catch-ups with colleagues and some regional HIMSS events.

The opening reception actually kicked off a little early, which was good given the crowds massing outside the doors. The entryway featured a garden theme with women whose heads were obscured by large balls of flowers. Once you made it past that, a woman was riding some kind of “wine cycle” that had glasses in the umbrella area and had an automated pouring mechanism that tipped the bottle. It was gimmicky, and I’m not sure how it fit into the theme or if it was meant to just be attention-grabbing. It also featured an apparatus on the back that looked like a gramophone trumpet full of flowers, so I’m still trying to figure it all out. I ran into half a dozen old friends who also couldn’t quite sort it out, so if you know more about the wine cycle, please let us know.

My time at the reception was truncated by an urgent phone call, but not before I spotted my first pair of pink socks for the event and also some sparkly sneakers. Once I had everything squared away with the call, it was time to head out for my dinner reservation at Girl and the Goat. One of my local BFFs had scored us a reservation there on short notice, which turned out to be a chef’s table type experience as we were seated right in front of the pastry station, just adjacent to the wood-fired oven. The meal was amazing. The pretzel pull-apart bread taught me that I needed more caramelized onion mustard jam in my life, and the chickpea fritters did not disappoint. The sauteed green beans were divine and the staff surprised us with a complimentary order of goat empanadas. Being able to sit right at the pass was amazing and it was clear that the staff took pride in their work and enjoyed interacting with customers.

From there it was a quick Uber back to my hotel to rest up for what tomorrow brings including keynotes, meetings, panels, and of course the exhibit hall.

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