Venture+ Forum and Startup Showcase Highlight Innovative New Healthcare IT Companies, Offer Unique Chance for Networking at HIMSS14

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 23, entrepreneurs, investors, technology influencers and healthcare industry leaders will gather in Orlando for the Venture+ Forum, to network and hear live presentations from the hottest healthcare startups at HIMSS14, the largest healthcare information technology conference in the world.  

The Venture+ Forum, sponsored by Howard Burde Health Law, LLC, Mountain Summit Advisors, Polsinelli and Ziegler, will kick off with a keynote address from Lucian Iancovici, M.D., Investment Manager at Qualcomm Ventures, entitled, "The Evolution of Digital Health."

"It's an incredibly exciting time to explore the future of digital health. There is a new generation of companies trying to disrupt the healthcare system by freeing data from their traditional silos to drive more efficient and effective care," said Lucian Iancovici, Investment Manager at Qualcomm Ventures. "The massive influx of investment dollars in the space has revealed a pattern in how new companies are approaching healthcare: using data from many sources to uncover insights and effect change."

The Venture+ Forum will feature an impressive lineup of early stage healthcare IT companies – all focused on improving healthcare delivery, patient outcomes and consumer engagement – competing in a pitch contest from the main stage. The Venture+ Forum will feature expert speakers and moderators, including:

• Christopher Bergstrom, Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer, WellDoc
• Ryan Bosch, M.D., Chief Medical Information Officer, Inova Health System
• Howard Burde, Principal, Howard Burde Health Law, LLC
• Andrew Colbert, Director, Ziegler
• Casper de Clercq, Partner, Norwest Venture Partners
• Molly Joel Coye, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Innovation Officer, UCLA Health
• Ted Driscoll, Ph.D., Director, Digital Healthcare, Claremont Creek Ventures
• John Fein, Managing Director, Techstars
• Valerie Gaydos, President, Capital Growth, Inc. and Founder, Angel Venture Forum
• Jeffrey Harvey, Managing Partner, Hickory Ridge Capital
• Katya Hancock, Strategic Partnerships Director, StartUp Health
• Amy Millman, President, Springboard Enterprises
• Lorren Pettit, Vice President, Market Research, HIMSS Analytics
• Alexander Preker, President and CEO, Health Investment & Financing Corporation
• Patricia Salber, M.D., Founder and CEO, Health Tech Hatch
• Joseph Volpe, Managing Director, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund
• Eric Steager, Director, Corporate Development, Independence Blue Cross

Venture+ Forum companies will also be exhibiting at the first ever Startup Showcase at HIMSS14, running from Monday, February 24 through Wednesday, February 26.  The Showcase will feature 44 companies in a 1,600 square foot pavilion on the main exhibition hall floor at the annual conference in Orlando.  HIMSS 14 is expected to attract over 37,000 attendees and each will have a chance to interact with innovative startups, experience product demos and network with entrepreneurs at the Showcase. Attendees can also vote for their favorite startup and be entered to win a daily prize. For a complete list of exhibiting companies, please visit: www.ventureplusforum.com/showcase/startup-showcase.

"The Venture+ Forum and Startup Showcase provide a new and unique opportunity for innovative companies to participate in the HIMSS annual conference," said Rich Scarfo, Vice President, Events and Director of the mHealth Summit at HIMSS. "Venture+ provides a forum to network and connect with investors at a focused event and the Showcase gives attendees the chance to explore new technologies and platforms, see demos of new products and gives startups access to new customers, investors, press and more."

More information about the Startup Showcase: www.ventureplusforum.com/showcase/startup-showcase  
Complete program agenda and full list of startups pitching at the Venture+ Forum: http://ventureplusforum.com/  
Registration for the Venture+ Forum is now open: http://ventureplusforum.com/registration

SOURCE HIMSS