Steve Sisko, aka @Shimcode on Twitter, did not originally embark down the path toward healthcare IT. His primary career choice, rather, was in the field of aviation technology.
That didn’t stop him from launching into the health IT space and landing on the #HIT100 list five years running.
Sisko is a healthcare IT service manager for Cambia Health Solutions, a large healthcare insurance and consumer health solutions company in the Pacific Northwest.
[Also: Bill Bunting talks 2016 predictions, patient engagement]
Atop his own list of interesting topics for HIMSS16? Healthcare literacy. And along with it the emerging technologies and services that advance transparency of healthcare costs and quality.
Sisko explained what he hopes to learn at this year’s conference, share a prediction for 2016, and weighs in on how social media helps users create and nurture very specific relationships.
Q: What’s something about you that even your devout followers likely don’t know?
A: I don’t think that many people know my original career choice, training and education was in the field of aviation technology. I’m a certified Airplane and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic. Although I’m definitely better with software than hardware; you wouldn’t want me working on your kid’s wagon.
See all of our HIMSS16 previews
Q: What are you most looking forward to learning about at HIMSS16?
A: I want to learn more about products and services that support the most important person in healthcare: the patient. I’m particularly interested in tools that increase healthcare literacy and which support transparency of cost and quality. I’m also interested in how unstructured and semi-structured data can be combined with structured data to provide actionable insight to improve patient care opportunities and outcomes.
Q: What inspired you to apply for the Social Media Ambassador program?
A: The HIMSS Conference is a big deal for those of us in healthcare IT and being an SMA gives me special access I wouldn’t get as an ordinary conference attendee. And the waived conference fee helps a lot. I guess I also wanted to just see if I’d be selected; a little ego perhaps?
Q: What is the untold benefit of social media in healthcare today?
A: I don’t know if it’s untold but social media enables you to identify, create and nurture very specific relationships with smart, interesting people much quicker and easier than if you were limited to more traditional ways of meeting others like attending an event or getting a referral. Essentially, social media helps you scale your networking in a very granular manner.
Q: One health IT prediction for 2016?
A: A big name company will make a highly touted push into assisting people to navigate the complex world of healthcare. A company like Wal-Mart, H & R Block, American Express, Bank of America, etc. will recognize the opportunity of offering “healthcare literacy” and planning services that enable people to get the most out of their healthcare dollar.
Twitter: @SullyHIT
