2011 mHealth Summit Opens to Record Attendance

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., Dec. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2011 mHealth Summit kicked off today with an impressive 3211 attendees from 48 countries and 46 states.  The largest mobile health event in the world met attendees with eight keynote addresses, 14 concurrent tracks with 80 sessions, 300 exhibitors, and a series of co-located events.

"Our goal this year was to deliver an event that met the needs of this growing industry," said Richard Scarfo, Director of the mHealth Summit and Director of Strategic Alliance at the Foundation for the NIH. "The mHealth Summit provides a 360 degree view of the state of mobile health today and is a direct result of partnerships and alliances we have engaged in leading up to today."

The significantly expanded summit this year remains focused on both domestic and international issues and includes a well rounded program consisting of 8 keynotes, 4 super sessions, 80 concurrent sessions in 5 themed tracks, corporate spotlights, a broad range of exhibitors, four themed pavilions, and special sessions and co-located events presented by sponsors, affiliates, and partners.  The M-Enabling Summit has also co-located with the mHealth Summit, a focused event on mobile applications and services for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

"In addition to the record attendance this year, we have seen an increase in panelists and speakers from low-income countries, where a great deal of mobile health programs are already having a positive impact on health outcomes," said Patty Mechael, Executive Director of the mHealth Alliance. "Demonstrating lessons learned and innovations used in low-resource areas is a critical part of advancing mHealth around the world."

This year's keynote speakers are a frontline representation of the critical components represented at the mHealth Summit and include:

• Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Eric J. Topol, M.D., Vice Chairman, West Wireless Health Institute
• John Stratton, EVP & COO, Verizon Wireless
• Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, Surgeon General of the United States, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• Julius Genachowski, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
• Dr. Hamadoun Toure, Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union
• Paul E. Jacobs, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board and CEO, Qualcomm
• Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Operations, Apollo Hospitals Group

This year, a new aspect of the Summit is its Digital Media Pavilion, sponsored by the Foundation for the NIH and the United Nations Foundation. Located on the exhibit hall floor, the Digital Media Pavilion will feature high-level interviews with speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and mobile health leaders from around the world.  In an effort to extend the message of the summit beyond the facility, interviews will be livestreamed from 2:00 to 5:00pm EST on December 5 and 6 and will serve as the hub of the online conversation about the Summit – sharing the Summit's news and events beyond the conference doors.

From mobile medical apps to regulatory policy, text messages to remote diagnoses, the 2011 mHealth Summit will connect providers, innovators, and technology experts with one goal: to expand the reach of innovative mobile technology to provide positive health solutions.

Presented by the FNIH in partnership with the mHealth Alliance, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the 3^rd-annual mHealth Summit runs from December 5-7, 2011 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center just outside of Washington, DC.

For more information:

Visit www.mhealthsummit.org for conference details.

Join us on Twitter #mHS11:

• @mHealthSummit: www.twitter.com/mhealthsummit  
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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