Montréal to host 1,200 delegates during the 2013 International Federation of
Health Information Management Association (IFHIMA, formerly IFHRO) Congress

MONTREAL, Dec. 10 /CNW Telbec/ - Thanks to the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA), supported by Tourisme Montréal and the Palais des congrès de Montréal, Montréal was chosen as the host city for the 17th International Federation of Health Information Management Association (IFHIMA, formerly known as the International Federation of Health Record Organizations (IFHRO)) Congress, to be held from May 11 to 15, 2013. The announcement came last month in Milan, Italy, during the 16th edition of the congress.

Held every three years, the IFHIMA Congress (organization formerly known as the International Federation of Health Record Organizations - IFHRO) welcomes some 1,200 delegates in the fields of Health Information Management (HIM) and Health Informatics (HI), including physicians, vendors, and sponsors from across Canada and the world. It is an opportunity for industry specialists to meet, participate in educational activities, network, exchange information, and share ideas.

"We are ecstatic that the Congress will return to Canada for a third time. Following wonderful experiences in Vancouver (1992) and Toronto (1976), we are certain that Montréal 2013 will be another Canadian success," stated Gail Crook, CHIMA CEO and Registrar. "CHIMA is delighted to be hosting the 2013 IFHIMA Congress in the beautiful city of Montréal. It's the ideal venue for an international conference, with something for everyone. We are grateful for the support of Tourisme Montréal and the Palais des congrès de Montréal in organizing this event and know it will be considered one of the best IFHIMA Congresses ever," added Valerie Alston, CHIMA Board Chair.

"When it came to making a decision for the next host city, Montréal was a clear choice: its dynamism, facilities, and tourist industry made it by far the most able and welcoming city to host our next convention," affirmed Margaret Skurka, President of IFHIMA. "As this event only takes place every three years, we do not take this decision lightly; I am certain that Montréal will provide a memorable, personal, and professional experience for all in attendance."

"It is indeed a great honour to be chosen to host such an important international meeting of the world's top experts in health records and health information management," expressed the Honourable Charles Lapointe, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal. "This will be the first time that the IFHIMA will experience what Montréal has to offer, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to reveal the very best of our city. The choice of Montréal for an event of this significance and magnitude once again attests to the dedication and continuous effort on the part of our entire tourism industry and will undoubtedly have a positive economic impact on the industry as a whole. I congratulate our tourism professionals for their hard work, and the IFHIMA for their selection. Spring is a glorious time of year to be in Montréal, and we hope that everyone will take full advantage of their time with us," he concluded.

"Thanks to the great efforts invested by CHIMA's organization and sales teams from the Palais des congrès and Tourisme Montréal, this congress announcement is yet another to add to those made just recently. The outlook for the Palais des congrès over the next few years is busy, with many large-scale, international meetings planned. With more that 50% of our international congresses related to life sciences, the Palais is the expert host for such events," explained Marc Tremblay, President and CEO of the Société du Palais des congrès de Montréal.

CHIMA
CHIMA represents a membership of more than 4,500 professionals in Health Information Management (HIM), and is the only source of credentialed HIM professionals in Canada.

IFHIMA
The IFHIMA (formerly known as IFHRO) is a non-profit organization affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO) as a non-governmental organization (NGO). The Federation sends representatives to WHO meetings and works closely with WHO on specific projects of particular concern or interest to WHO in the field of health records and information systems.

Palais des congrès de Montréal
The Palais des congrès de Montréal's mission is to solicit and host conventions, exhibitions, conferences, meetings and other events. A public institution with a commercial vocation, the Palais des congrès generates significant economic spinoffs for Québec and has, for more than 25 years, proudly contributed to the sharing of knowledge while ensuring Montréal's place on the world map as a first-class destination.

Tourisme Montréal
Tourisme Montréal is responsible for providing leadership in the concerted efforts of hospitality and promotion in order to position the destination in leisure and business travel markets. It is also responsible for developing Montréal's tourism product in accordance with the ever-changing conditions of the market.

For further information:

Source:
Pierre Bellerose
Vice President, Public Relations, Product Research and Development
Tourisme Montréal
514 844-2404
[email protected]

Information:
Amélie Asselin
Advisor, Communications and Public Affairs
Société du Palais des congrès de Montréal
514 871-5897
[email protected]