After a year of remote meetings, Lewis College health informatics students and faculty returned to the massive HIMSS 2021 Conference in Las Vegas. The conference provided multiple opportunities for the students in learning, networking and scholarship.
Five undergraduate health informatics students served as paid program assistants during the conference. Ed Leung and his classmates, Soo Youn (Angela) Kim, Alundra Jones, Kate Kim and Joarvonia Ashouri, assisted HIMSS attendees in navigating the 5,000 plus person conference, scanning badges, and serving as the face of the conference.
The program offered the students full access to the HIMSS conference, including career services and opportunities to network with CEOs and other health IT leadership and connect with other informatics students from across the country.
Leung said the pandemic had an impact on his decision to be part of HIMSS 2021.
“I started the [health informatics] program online during the pandemic and never had the opportunity to meet my classmates and faculty in person,” said Leung. “At HIMSS, I close with program assistants from Georgia State and other programs.” He says he worked with colleagues from California, New York and Tennessee.
“There was so much we could learn from each other.”
Leung also saw how the wide variety of the health IT field.
“I only knew about data analytics,” said Leung. “But at HIMSS, I got to network with CEOs and other health IT employees.”
A former nursing major who found direct patient care wasn’t for him, Leung is glad to be pursuing a career in health care. He is investigating career options and looking for an internship, possibly in electronic health records administration but thinks he might also be interested in working as a patient care coordinator.
Leung encourages other health informatics students to attend HIMSS and said the program assistant position was a terrific way to participate as a student.
“Go and learn and network. It’s a great experience.”
Also, during the HIMSS conference, seven undergraduate and graduate health informatics students received the CAHIMS Grant for Minority Professionals and Students. This new grant provides underrepresented health information and technology professionals and students with preparation materials and financial resources to attain CAHIMS certification. The credential helps advance the holders' healthcare careers by demonstrating professional knowledge in healthcare information and management systems to potential and current employers.
The Georgia State students receiving the grant are Shakia Buncum (UG), Norris Jones (UG), Gold Huntar (UG), Medisa Martinovic (UG), Queen Mufty-Raimi (UG), Jean-Pierre Poteau (graduate) and Candace Thomas-Elcock (graduate).