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“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” That’s not just the name of Warren Zevon’s biography, it’s also a line I heard at HIMSS. I was meeting with a senior exec from one of the major EHR companies.

Even though our friends in the Mid-Atlantic don’t feel it right now, the arrival of HIMSS reminds us that spring can’t be too far behind. And with spring come more trade shows, user group meetings, and industry group state chapter conferences.

I’ll admit it. In the fall of 1999, I was one of the many IT professionals who waited until the very last minute to ensure that their company’s technology was Y2K compliant. In fact, in October and November of that year I aged significantly.

Physicians and healthcare providers across the country have found themselves scrambling to get their arms around the government’s plan to ensure electronic health records (EHR) are implemented within a few short years. It’s easy enough to understand the concept of adoption incentives, which will be activated in 2011, as well as the penalties for noncompliance to be imposed soon after.

A sentiment often felt when a recession hits. As belts are tightened, budgets slashed, and colleagues laid off, many take solace in knowing they’ve been spared. Issues like job satisfaction, personal fulfillment, equitable work schedules, and – yes – even pay, take a back seat to gratitude for simply remaining employed.