2011 mHealth Summit Attracted Industry Leaders from Around the Globe

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2011 mHealth Summit concluded its yearly event with a record attendance of 3,621 people from 50 countries, many of whom spoke to new technologies and research-based solutions that may pave the way to extending health care and lowering costs by educating patients, helping many manage their chronic disease and adherence to treatment programs, while improving overall health outcomes.

"We worked diligently this year to develop an inclusive program that allowed the many voices of the mHealth ecosystem to be present and heard," said Richard Scarfo, Director of the mHealth Summit. "It was important for us to create a unique platform that allowed the issues of both the developing and domestic worlds to be presented equally, as well as explore those new technologies and future issues that will shape the future of mobile health."

The three-day event was an unprecedented gathering of leaders from the mobile health ecosystem, including industry, NGOs, researchers, government, nonprofits, policy makers, providers, entrepreneurs, technology innovators and venture capitalists – all of whom were part of the many sessions, round table discussions, and networking events that spoke to the transformative role that mHealth can play in the lives of individuals, and the successes and challenges of integrating mHealth as a tool for improving health care delivery around the world for the 21^st century.

"It was inspiring to see such a diverse group of attendees representing the full range of members of the mHealth community from throughout the world," said Patty Mechael, Executive Director of the mHealth Alliance. "The mHealth field has matured significantly over the past several years, continuing to build momentum toward a future with improved access to health services and information and most importantly health outcomes."

This year's event was the platform for key announcements from government and industry leaders, such as keynote presenters Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Julius Genachowski, FCC Chairman, Dr. Regina Benjamin, Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Eric Topol, Vice Chairman of the West Wireless Health Institute, John Stratton, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Verizon Wireless, Paul Jacobs, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Qualcomm, Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union, and Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Operations, of the Apollo Hospitals Group.

More Event Highlights:

• Start Up Mobile Health Pavilion
  A cornerstone of this year's 30,000 square feet of exhibit space, the StartUp Pavilion showcased 40 of today's most innovative seed and early stage companies impacting mobile health. The pavilion was a collaborative effort developed by Blueprint Health, Healthbox, Rock Health, and StartUp Health.
• Organizing partner mHIMSS, the globally focused mobile initiative of HIMSS, sponsored the Mobile Health Venture Fair that connected 13 innovative companies with investors. mHIMSS' HIT mHealth Vendor Pavilion featured some of the health IT industry's leading vendors, while the HIT X.0 program track offered five sessions that explored provider-centric education and insight into the future state of healthcare utilizing emerging mobile IT.
• Digital Media Pavilion, located on the exhibit room floor, featured livestreamed and recorded interviews with high-level speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and mobile health leaders from around the world, available on the mHealth Summit Livestream channel.
• Organizing partner, the mHealth Alliance, announced the winners of the Top 11 in 2011 Innovators Challenge, recognizing pioneers in mobile health. The Alliance also announced, as part of its Innovation Working Group, recipients of eight grants for mobile health programs that foster technology to improve maternal and newborn health. The "Every Woman, Every Child" program grant recipients include the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Dimagi, Inc., Grameen Foundation, Rwanda Ministry of Health, and more.
• M-Enabling Summit, a co-located event at this year's summit that focused on mobile applications and services for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

Plans are underway for the 2012 Summit, to be held December 3-5 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Washington, D.C. area.

MEDIA RESOURCES:

• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/mhealthsummitevent1
• Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43520317@N05/
• Livestream Channel: http://www.livestream.com/mhealthsummit
• Twitter #mHS11: https://twitter.com/#!/mHealthSummit
• Program information: www.mhealthsummit.org

About the mHealth Summit
The 2011 mHealth Summit presented by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), in partnership with the mHealth Alliance, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the leading conference advancing cross-sector collaboration in the use of wireless technology to improve health outcomes. The 2011 mHealth Summit, to be held December 5-7 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, will connect leaders in government, private sector/industry, academia, and not-for-profit organizations to advance discussion and decision-making related to the intersection of mobile technology, health research, and policy in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.mhealthsummit.org.

About the Foundation for the NIH
Established by the United States Congress to support the mission of the NIH — improving health through scientific discovery in the search for cures— the Foundation for the NIH is a leader in identifying and addressing complex scientific and health issues. The Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) charitable organization that raises private-sector funds for a broad portfolio of unique programs that complement and enhance the NIH priorities and activities. For additional information about the Foundation for the NIH, please visit www.fnih.org.

About the mHealth Alliance: www.mhealthalliance.org
About mHIMSS: www.himss.org

SOURCE mHealth Summit 2011