HealthCare Business News connected with Tessa Cook assistant professor of radiology at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania to get an idea of what attendees can expect at this year's SIIM meeting, taking place June 14-16 in Austin, Texas.

In this interview we also learn more about Cook’s background and the initiatives underway with SIIM.

HCB News: What inspired you to get into healthcare and more specifically, into imaging informatics?
Tessa Cook: Medical school and a career as a physician were always part of my future plan, going all the way back to childhood. I spent a lot of time as a patient myself in those days, and I think it piqued my curiosity as a result. Because I was also interested in computers and engineering growing up, I took what was once a non-traditional path to medicine via those fields. Imaging informatics was nots something I had heard of until I became a radiology resident, and even then, it was a serendipitous conversation with a mentor that led to my becoming part of SIIM and learning about this amazing field. I couldn’t imagine my career without it now.

HCB News: How long have you been a member of SIIM?
TC: Since 2009, my first SIIM meeting.

HCB News: What have been the benefits of your membership?
TC: The high quality education offered both at our conferences and through our online learning platform, the opportunity to network with experts across all the different personas at SIIM, and the camaraderie and friendships I have gained through the community.

HCB News: Who should consider joining the society?
TC: If you enjoy solving problems using technology in radiology and other imaging specialties, SIIM is the place for you! There is a common misconception that informatics is for programmers, and that you have to write software to be “good” at it. I happily dispel that myth every chance I get. All you need is an interest in new things and a desire to learn.

HCB News: What are some big developments in imaging informatics over the last year?
TC: Increased attention to cybersecurity in healthcare, generative AI, and the enterprise imaging body site naming initiative are just three that come to mind. Our field is constantly evolving and developing, so there are of course more.

HCB News: Are imaging informatics professionals more integrated into the mainstream day-to-day of healthcare organizations than they have been in the past?
TC: I think we’ve always been integrated, but now are seen and heard much more than before. In the past it was easy to not think about IT or informatics professionals until something broke. Now there’s an interest in investing in efficiency gains and workflow enhancements proactively, and that has made healthcare organizations realize the value of and need for the imaging informaticist.

HCB News: Are there any particular sessions or presentations you're excited about at the upcoming meeting?
TC: There are so many, I don’t quite know how I’m going to make it to all of them! Our three keynote speakers this year are phenomenal. The scientific and educational programs highlight the hot topics in our field, from enterprise imaging to workflow to AI and even leadership and professional development. The InformaticsTECH Expo promises exciting new updates, including the latest on generative AI. And the AI Playground promises to be a unique and exciting experience at the meeting this year.

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