HIMSS Celebrates 60 Years with Major Membership Milestone

The last year has shown unprecedented transformation as healthcare systems worldwide have embraced digital health solutions at a scale few imagined possible just a decade ago. During this pivotal time, HIMSS has also achieved major milestones: welcoming over 100,000 members to the society and celebrating 60 years of reforming the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology.

Welcoming 100,000 Members

HIMSS membership has reached new heights, growing by more than 20,000 in the last six months. We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to each of our 100,000+ members, and we thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for HIMSS.

“Everyone who is a part of the global health ecosystem has experienced the challenges of the pandemic,” said Harold (Hal) Wolf, president and CEO of HIMSS. “Throughout, HIMSS members have stood on the front lines of care and in support of frontline workers, to whom we all owe a tremendous debt. The adoption of innovative digital tools and new ways to think about the delivery of care in the face of a devastating global health emergency has helped all of us take important strides toward a better future for health and wellness that will be felt for decades to come.

“HIMSS is honored to be the trusted source for key insights, policy and advocacy, education, and professional development that so many have turned to during these trying times. Our vision ‘to realize the full health potential of every human, everywhere’ has never been more relevant.”   

Celebrating 60 Years

In 1961, HIMSS was founded at the Georgia Institute of Technology as the Hospital Management Systems Society (HMSS). Co-founders Edward J. Gerner and Harold E. Smalley hoped to establish a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to improving hospital management systems.

Today, 60 years later, that community still stands, now 100,000+ strong. We are proud to host the world’s largest health information and technology global conference and exhibition, as well as year-round education, professional development, thought leadership, networking and collaboration opportunities. We are proud to say our Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model is the most widely used assessment of digital excellence in healthcare around the world.

“The transformation that we have achieved during the past year has clearly demonstrated how we can use digital health innovations to build a stronger, more effective, and more equitable health ecosystem,” said Wolf. “To sustain the progress we have made will require our ongoing commitment as a global community of health providers, professionals, and advocates to push to realize the mission we have been working toward for years at HIMSS—to reform the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology.”

We promise to make the next 60 years as impactful as the first, and to always remain committed to our members, our vision and mission.