Singapore's Healthcare Leaders will Gather to Realize its Healthcare 2020 Masterplan

Singapore and regional healthcare leaders will gather at HIMSS AsiaPac17 from 11 – 14 September at the Marina Bay Sands. Themed Team-Based Care: Unifying Patients and Providers, Guest of Honour Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat, Ministry of Information & Communication and Ministry of Health Singapore, will give the opening address on 12 September.

To-date, the event has attracted 35+ VIP guests, the support of more than 20 regional organizations and five key sponsors. World-leading keynote speakers are also anticipated in a five-track program curated by a diverse organizing committee comprising of regional leaders.

Adj. A/Prof. Gamaliel Tan, Chief Medical Informatics Officer, JurongHealth and Chair of the HIMSS AsiaPac17 Organizing Committee said, "2017 is shaping up to be the landmark year in Singapore's progress towards its Healthcare 2020 masterplan. To enhance the accessibility, quality and affordability of care, its six public clusters will be integrated into three and a new polyclinic group, National University Polyclinic (NUP) has been formed to better integrate primary care with acute care. The three clusters: National University Health System (NUHS), SingHealth and the National Healthcare Group (NHG), are HIMSS AsiaPac17 supporting organizations which means this year's event is taking on a greater responsibility – the commitment to fuel outcomes that will support this massive National transformation. Together with the rest of the organizing committee and HIMSS, we will develop a program that is timely and that addresses critical issues to help with care transformation."

Singapore's health sector remains one of the most mature in the region. In a one-of-a-kind landscape where all its public hospitals are at HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) Stage 6 and above, Singapore continues to leapfrog with the recent addition of Jurong Community Hospital as Stage 6. Its burgeoning private sector is also closing the IT adoption gap through public-private partnerships. Apart from digital maturity, Singapore's visionary masterplan for integrated facilities has resulted in future-proof projects such as the 10-year expansion of the Singapore General Hospital campus and the Woodlands Integrated Campus, which will open in phases from 2022.

On the ground, SMART Health initiatives are leading the way. Telehealth technology is now implemented in six healthcare institutions. Hospitals are implementing projects to improve safety and the patient experience. These include Automated Medication-Collection Lockers at SingHealth Polyclinics, an Infection Control Management System at Changi General Hospital, Emergency Department Decision Support System at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the list goes on. In step-down care, the Tote Board Community Healthcare Fund, together with the Ministry of Health and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), has committed $230 million until 2019 to bring innovative healthcare ideas to life.

Simon Lin, Executive Director, HIMSS Asia Pacific said, "HIMSS is excited to return to Singapore and are pleased to receive unwavering support from the local clusters, IHiS and the Ministry of Health. For the last decade, the HIMSS AsiaPac annual conference and exhibition has helped shaped the healthcare IT landscape in the region. This year, the 11th edition of this flagship event promises to deliver a uniquely different delegate experience where one can expect to find specially curated capacity building workshops, best practice case study presentations and to witness the recognition awards to the best in class from both the community and the industry. To complete the experience, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, our first HIMSS EMRAM Stage 7 hospital in ASEAN and the Pacific, will be hosting a tailored guided tour for colleagues from the Asia Pacific region."

HIMSS AsiaPac17's in-depth learning offerings include the IHE World Summit, Smart Nursing Competency Workshop, HIMSS-CHIME Cybersecurity Essentials for Healthcare Executives, AHIMA Health Data Analytics Workshop and post-conference hospital tours.