Jane Sarasohn-Kahn: Health economist, woman in HIT and HIMSS17 Social Media Ambassador

The social media veteran names her health IT heroes, shines a light on what she’s expecting at HIMSS17 and shares a pet-peeve. 
By Tom Sullivan
07:01 AM

Jane Sarasohn-Kahn is a health economist, a contributor to our Women in Health IT network and a veteran HIMSS Social Media Ambassador.

So it’s no surprise she will return as an SMA again this year at HIMSS17 via the Twitter handle @healthythinker.

But that’s just a start. There are other things about her that even her social media fans do not likely know. Healthcare IT News interviewed Sarasohn-Kahn, via Twitter no less, about what she’s expecting in February when this year’s conference takes place in Orlando.

Q: What are you most looking forward to at HIMSS17?
A:
Always: meeting up with my peers who challenge, teach, and make health-mischief with me; and making new collegial friends who do the same.

Q: What issues do you think are top-of-mind for your social media followers?
A:
Health Populi, my blog, firmly focuses on consumers/people, health and technology, and health economics – so my followers look for new-new insights into consumer and patient health engagement, innovative technologies to underpin engagement, and how we’ll meet the Triple Aim.

Q: Who's your favorite healthcare hero? Why?
A:
I go back to Jonas Salk, my mother, and the polio vaccine. Polly Sarasohn worked in our community as a health liaison to get the vaccine into our schools when I was a tiny person. I treasure a photo of her with her local team that boosted public health in our town. She was into guerilla healthcare before it was cool, and has been the True North in my work forever.

Q: What's your pet peeve? (Either on- or off-line?)
A:
Lately it’s fake news and some people's dismissal of true facts. Yes, Virginia, there actually are things that are indisputably factual in health and healthcare!

Q: What is something your social media followers do not know about you? 
A:
How dedicated I am as a practitioner of food as medicine (especially Slow Food) and as a social determinant of health – and family and friend happiness! If traveling and I'm not on business, you'll likely find me in Italy: home of Slow Food, Slow Art, and Slow Life for Health!

Related articles: 
Health IT guru Brian Ahier: A big fan of data analytics, Donald Berwick and Jerry Garcia
Get to know Linda Stotsky: She writes poetry, sticks up for the underserved and loves ... boxing?

Twitter: SullyHIT
Email the writer: tom.sullivan@himssmedia.com


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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