Day 5 of our 12 Days of Christmas Posts we look to Hollywood for inspiration and 5 movies this year that are golden. Click the title links or posters to read up on each movie at IMDB.com.
Number 1: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Episode 7
If you have staff that called in “sick” today, take heart. The most anticipated movie this year, and perhaps even this decade, opens today. The latest in the George Lucas iconic series is set thirty years after Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi and reunites Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and, of course, Harrison Ford, who broke his leg during filming. Two additional movies are planned for release; Episode 8 in 2017 and Episode 9 in 2019, with a potential spin-off of the most successful movie franchise in history planned for 2018. It seems like The Force will be with us for quite some time. By the time Episode 9 hits in 2019, our own Meaningful Use three stage saga will have concluded for Medicare Part B providers as meaningful use is rolled into the Merit‐Based Incentive Payment System program or MIPS. Replacing the repealed SGR and starting in 2017, MIPS will annually measure Medicare Part B providers in four performance categories to achieve a MIPS score, having a significant impact on Medicare reimbursements. Penalties associated with the current programs will be sunsetted by end of 2018. You can learn more about MIPS by reading Jim Tate’s white paper, MIPS for the Rest of Us, or check out our series of MIPS webinars with SA Ignite on YouTube. May the MIPS be with you.
Number 2: The Martian
My favorite movie of the year, The Martian takes place in the near future when, during a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead and left behind by his crew. Finding himself stranded and alone, Watney draws upon limited resources, ingenuity, and humor to find away to let Earth know his is alive. The film is based on the best selling book by Andy Weir and directed by Ridley Scott. The movie was released on October 2, one day after the ICD-10 transition date. If like Watney you felt a little stranded that day, you were not alone. You probably dealt with the transition with limited resources, ingenuity, and humor, and, like the Martian, found a way out of every ICD-10 predicament you landed yourself in.
Number 3: Spectre
This November release in the decades-old franchise sees Daniel Craig in his last turn as “Bond, James Bond”. A pity as Craig has been my absolute favorite actor in the role, playing a deeply troubled and nuanced Bond. In this final bow, we learn the secrets behind SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion). SPECTRE is the fictional global criminal syndicate Bond has battled many times, having made its first film appearance in 1962 in Dr. No, with Sean Connery as Bond. The organization is a familiar villain to fans worldwide. Healthcare has had its own villain of late as cybersecurity hacks have escalated. The year started with the Anthem hack of almost 80 million records with Chinese hackers behind the attack. Cybersecurity is one of our industry’s most alarming concerns as we continue the digitization of healthcare. Go see Craig’s final performance. And be sure to catch our own performance as we host a panel of experts on a webinar in January to talk about cybersecurity challenges. Our all star panel includes Iliana Peters, Sr. Advisor for HIPAA Compliance and Enforcement at HHS Office for Civil Rights and Mac McMillan, current Chair of the HIMSS Privacy & Security Policy Task Force.
Number 4: Tomorrowland
Two words: George Clooney. Not that he’s the reason I made the time to go see this Sci-fi movie. Okay, that’s a lie. He’s the reason I made the time to go see this Sci-fi movie. Bonus alert!! It was really good. If you’ve ever been to Disneyland then you’re familiar with Tomorrowland. In this movie, Clooney, a former boy-genius, and a teenage farm girl embark on an adventure to a fantastical place somewhere in time and space that exists in their shared memory, saving Earth along the way. Many in our Industry go to HIMSS each year to experience our own version of Tomorrowland, getting a glimpse of what healthcare will be like in the future. In 2016, HIMSS will be in Las Vegas, a fantastical place in its own right of sorts. The theme in 2016 is Transforming Health Through IT.
Number 5: Mission Impossible
Ah yes, another year, and another MI6 thriller starring Tom Cruise. I actually liked the latest offering, in part because of the supporting cast. Plus, when it comes to stunts, this 20-year franchise never disappoints. Our own industry “mission Impossible” may be getting to interoperability. In October, the ONC released its final roadmap outlining the path forward to interoperability, Connecting Health and Care for the Nation A Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap. The roadmap lays the foundation for achieving full interoperabillity by 2021-2024. You can watch our Interoperability panel discussion on YouTube to hear industry leaders talk about if and how interoperability can be achieved. Wonder if by 2021 I’ll still be writing about a 60+ Tom Cruise starring in another Mission Impossible movie, or even about interoperability?