Virtual Conferece Wrap up

2020 HIMAA NATIONAL VIRTUAL CONFERENCE WRAP UP

Covid-19 created the dilemma to either postpone HIMAA’s National Conference in 2020 or find some innovative alternatives to offer presentations, exhibitions, networking and professional development opportunities. Delivering a virtual conference through an electronic platform provided a practical example of the conference theme: ‘Enabling better health in a digital world’. Once decided, a huge effort was required by all to call for and review abstracts, invite Keynote speakers and clinicians, build the delivery platform, organise virtual exhibitions and a unique and entertaining conference dinner experience.

An advantage of the virtual event was the availability of some excellent speakers who could ‘present’ from wherever they were, and similarly for delegates to ‘attend’ without the need to travel. The OnAIR platform ensured that the timing of events was kept to schedule. Delegates were treated to some exceptional Keynote speakers in Principal Medical Advisor and Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Prof. Michael Kidd, the Grattan Institute’s Stephen Duckett, IFHIMA President Lorraine Fernandes, AIHW Director Barry Sandison, ADHI’s Angela Ryan, Robert Jakob from WHO, and Melanie Endicott from AHIMA. These were complemented by excellent national and international presentations on CDI, privacy, education and training, and coding and classification, capped off by inspiring motivational speaker, Shade Zahrais’ presentation ”The Brilliance if Resilience: navigating a time of change.” Clinical updates were provided on Haematology (Dr George Grigoriadis, Monash University); Lung Cancer (Dr Emily Stone, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney); Opthalmology (Dr Gayatri Banerjee, Springwood Hospital); and Head and Neck Surgery (Dr James Wykes, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Sydney). The abstracts for presentations given by your national and international peers are available on the HIMAA website Members Area under ‘HIMAA Conference Material’, then through the ‘Previous conference proceedings’ link. A sincere thank you to all who contributed to the success of this event.

Joan Henderson Scientific Co-Chair

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