Our health information technology community is a special one. I joined the HIMSS family six years ago – it was my first major career opportunity in social media. Honestly, I had no idea what I was signing up for. Little did I know what would ensue between October 2011 and today would be some of the most exciting, inspiring and formative years for my life. Why? Put simply: the amazingly talented, passionate, and gracious people that work in this industry. HIMSS Social Media Ambassador, Tamara StClaire really nails how special this community is here:

Happy #NHITWeek! #IHeartHIT for the collaborative community. What's your #IHeartHIT story? pic.twitter.com/laCPkg8nPG

— Tamara StClaire (@drstclaire) September 26, 2016

Our tribe attends conferences, posts blogs, and hosts Twitter chats. But, we’re genuinely interested in building relationships and collaborating, not only for the benefit of each other, but also for advancing the industry.

The HIMSS Social Media Ambassador program is both a symbol and an actualization of leaders and luminaries that use social media to explore and advance the possibilities for all of us to design a culture of wellness – in health centers and in our daily lives – through the thoughtful use of technology.

Check out last year’s HIMSS Social Media Ambassador class with this Twitter List.

What do they do?

Each year HIMSS selects up to 20 health information technology leaders who demonstrate exceptional social media savviness in the advancement of health IT’s mission to improve health of populations. The 2017-2018 class of HIMSS Social Media Ambassadors will have the opportunity to:

• Participate in social media-focused activities before, during and after HIMSS18
• Receive complimentary, insider access to the HIMSS18 conference to highlight and nurture discussions from some of the industry’s brightest minds on social networks
• Meet and interact with HIMSS executives and HIMSS18 speakers
• Shape important, topically-driven dialogues leading up to and after HIMSS18
• Host onsite networking events and deliver pulse reports on the happenings of the conference and the industry at large

Who qualifies?

A maximum of 20 ambassadors will be selected to work with HIMSS for the 2017-2018 class of Social Media Ambassadors. A new class will be selected in the Fall of 2018. In order to qualify, applicants should meet the following criteria:

• Actively use multiple social networking platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) and tools to disseminate health IT information to a unique audience
• Demonstrate an advanced, sophisticated awareness of social media
• Regularly produce new content on healthcare and health IT
• Have the potential to reach a large number of people using digital platforms
• Reach a unique audience, separate and distinctive from traditional news media
• Have an established history of posting content related to health information management on social media platforms
• Have previous postings, speaking engagements or publications that are highly visible, respected and widely-recognized

Please note: Past participation in the program does not automatically qualify applicants for acceptance. Social Media Ambassador credentials only include complimentary HIMSS18 registration costs and does not extend to travel, lodging, food or other conference-related expenses.

How can I apply?

Applications must be completed and submitted by no later than November 10. In the event an applicant is not selected, he or she will have until December 18 to register to attend at the early bird discount rate. Applicants will be notified of acceptance in the order in which their applications were submitted. No late applications will be accepted.

Step 1 – Apply: Download and complete the HIMSS Social Media Ambassador application

Step 2 – Register: Fill out the Social Media Ambassador registration form & upload your application

**In the event of professional misconduct HIMSS reserves the right to terminate Social Media Ambassador credentials at any time.