Denizens of the healthcare IT realm know John as @techguy, the blogger and founder of HealthcareScene.com, but not as many are likely to know the other topics he blogs about.

Healthcare IT News queried the Social Media Ambassador, via Twitter no less, about what he hopes to see at HIMSS17, his pet peeves, and we asked him to reveal something his followers might not know about him.

Q: What are you most looking forward to at HIMSS17?
A: There are so many good parts to #HIMSSanity, it's hard to choose just one. However, the best part of any HIMSS is probably the opportunity to mix and mingle with thousands of incredible people that are doing their very best to make healthcare better. While there are a few bad eggs out there, I find that the majority of people in the HIMSS community really want to improve healthcare. Certainly we could argue about their ability to do so, but I've found most people in healthcare IT really have the right intentions and goals. Over the years, I've found that my favorite HIMSS memories were the times I really connected with someone on a deep level both personally and professionally. The week of HIMSS is a tremendous opportunity to do this and be inspired by so many people.

Q: What issues do you think are top-of-mind for your social media followers?
A: MACRA seems to be the dominant topic for most of my followers. While MACRA is really an extension of what was started with PQRS and meaningful use, I see a lot of organizations that are afraid of what MACRA is going to mean to them. I'm sure this will be a hot topic at HIMSS17. Outside of that, I think there's a tremendous focus on how to extract value out of their EHR investment. Organizations have spent hundreds of thousands, millions, and even billions implementing EHRs in the rush for government incentive money. Now those organizations are stepping back and asking "How do we get more value out of our investment?"

Q: Who's your favorite healthcare hero? Why?
A: Healthcare hero is a challenging idea. I think the real heroes in healthcare are the millions of people working the front lines with little recognition, tons of outside pressure, and yet they continue to provide amazing care to those in need. That said, the person who's most influenced my thinking about healthcare this year is Melissa McCool (@MelissaxxMcCool), founder of http://Stellicare.com. I've been blogging about healthcare IT for 11 years and meeting her this year has turned many of the things I thought about patient engagement and using technology to help patients on its head. Her approach to working with some of the most vulnerable patients is unique and will have a profound impact on healthcare organizations that adopt it. Plus, she's someone who's been very successful with her healthcare business, but she's also doing it for the right reasons. Her compassion for every patient, that's illustrated in the work she does, is something I really admire.

Q: What's your pet peeve? (Either on- or off-line?)
A: When people ask me if I want to meet for drinks or coffee (neither of which I partake). If they used the data that's out there, they'd know to offer me pizza or ice cream. Honestly, I don't have many pet peeves. If I were to choose a real pet peeve, I'd have to say people that lack substance. The song, "A little less talk, A lot more action" would be something that I wish more people would espouse. I also love Andy DeLao's (@CancerGeek) idea of impacting healthcare at the individual level or the N of 1 as he calls it. If we all made little changes that impacted even one patient, in aggregate that would have a powerful effect for good on healthcare.

Q: What is something your social media followers do not know about you?
A: I think my followers know me pretty well. I'm kind of an open book. Most know about my addiction to ultimate frisbee, anything Italian, and dancing. Fewer people know about my reality TV blogs. The most popular of these is about Dancing with the Stars (http://PureDWTS.com).

Related HIMSS17 profiles: 
⇒ Meet Drex DeFord: Former Air Force CIO who started as a rock-n-roll DJ
​⇒ Matt Fisher: Healthcare attorney who once worked as a Starbucks barista
⇒ Brian Ahier: A big fan of analytics, Don Berwick and Jerry Garcia 
⇒ Linda Stotsky: She writes poetry, sticks up for underserved and loves ... boxing? 
⇒ Jane Sarasohn-Kahn: Health economist, woman in HIT, Social Media Ambassador

HIMSS17 runs from Feb. 19-23, 2017 at the Orange County Convention Center.

This article is part of our ongoing coverage of HIMSS17. Visit Destination HIMSS17 for previews, reporting live from the show floor and after the conference.

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