Everyone has a story. Whether we’re relaying the epic histories of our familial ancestors or telling the story of our health workflows and impacts, stories make the recounting vastly more interesting. Furthermore, visual storytelling holds tremendous power to make data more digestible and understandable. As it turns out, map-based visualization and analysis build on that power because the spatial memory section of our brains is uniquely strong. I’ve recently been touring many ancient cities across Europe, and I’ve seen firsthand the evidence for how visual storytelling offered a way to ensure that information delivery was more inclusive.
All this to say, we’re inviting you to save the date for our 21st Annual Esri Health and Human Services GIS Conference. The event will be held May 2-3, 2023, at the beautiful Chicago Hilton. You can review our 2022 event and request notifications when registration opens here.
What should you expect?
Lots of success stories! I believe the presentations we have planned for you will leave you inspired, empathetic and energized. We’ll be covering the following thematic areas at the conference with a mix of user stories and technical workshops:
- Humans in crisis
- Health equity
- Preparedness and response
- Access to care and network adequacy
- Strategic planning
- Environmental health and climate
We’ll also have Esri experts on hand to help with your specific needs (so come with questions and ideas!). Our professional services division will host ‘doctor’s hours’ on both days where you can meet with them individually to share your data, your challenges, or get ideas for how to proceed with your projects.
Who should attend?
If you know me, you know I’ll say ‘everyone in health’ should attend this event. Why do I say that? Well, location is ubiquitous in our lives, and it touches every aspect of the health industry including hospitals and health systems, health plans, public health, human and social services, nonprofit organizations, pharmaceutical companies, trade associations and more. We also see a variety of roles from within these organizations from the chief executives and information officers to the epidemiologists, data scientists, program analysts, and health educator. It’s literally applicable to everyone.
One more reason…
It’s no secret that we learn best in a collaborative environment where we can compare our stories and approaches. This event provides an opportunity for you to learn firsthand how over 400 other health professionals are responding to common trends, goals, and challenges. Because this event draws a geographically and professionally diverse audience, attendees can share and gather ideas outside their typical local spheres of influence. And don’t you just feel the need to be among colleagues even more these days?
I will most certainly be there and look forward to connecting with old friends and making new ones as we take #HealthGIS to the next level. As the date approaches please keep an eye out for more blogs from myself and colleague Nanette Star, environmental health industry specialist, with specifics on sessions, presenters, and their story topics. You won’t want to miss it. Put the dates on your calendar now!
