Health IT, Hospitals

HIMSS in squalor! New Orleans boil order is healthcare version of Super Bowl blackout

The New Orleans Super Bowl had the blackout. New Orleans HIMSS 2013 had the boil […]

The New Orleans Super Bowl had the blackout. New Orleans HIMSS 2013 had the boil order.

Attendees at the lightly attended first day of HIMSS were greeted with orders not to drink the water after a fire at the sewage and water plant. It triggered a drop in water pressure and resulted in a boil order in effect for the city’s East Bank of Orleans Parish, which included the area in and around the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center that is hosting the mega health IT gathering.

The boil order was going to be in place for at least 24 hours but was essentially on until further notice.

But for the (not so) battle-hardened health IT crowd, it triggered a crisis of confidence — including a steady stream of light-hearted tweets and a biting critique by the anonymous HISTalk blog of HIMSS’ decision to even associate with the entire city of New Orleans.

As much as I like the restaurants and the local character, there’s no doubt in my mind that New Orleans is not capable of handling a major convention in a professional manner. The airport is small and outdated, there aren’t enough cabs to get people the long way to downtown, and I’m hearing that hotels are oversold and people are being assigned rooms out in the sticks. It feels like a backward country where nobody really cares about the small details. The only positive I can muster is that the convention center is OK and the restaurants are good.

Knowing this crowd, a lack of water really won’t be the problem. It will be the lack of coffee because of the lack of water is going to make for a cranky collection of 35,000 health IT enthusiasts come Monday — the first full day of the event.

#HIMSS13 boil order

New Orleans issued a boil order – and the biggest healthcare It conference in the country reacted.

Storified by Chris Seper· Sun, Mar 03 2013 21:35:12

[ANNOUNCEMENT] #HIMSS13-ers drink bottled water for next 24hrs. Boil water order issued for NOLA http://ow.ly/igybNHIMSS
How I error proof against forgetting about the water boil order in NOLA for #himss13 http://pic.twitter.com/yVmtVlgrp4Mark Graban
Theme song for #himss13, "don’t drink the water" by Dave Matthews!KT McGraw
Trying to figure out how to boil water in my hotel room #HIMSS13 I guess that’s what the iron is for.Brad Justus
RT @PMIHealth: Only working restrooms near rooms 244, 282, 287. Water issue @nola conv ctr for everyone at #himss13 #pmi,city wide issueJoe Lavelle
#HIMSS13 entering the #NOLA twilight zone. No water pressure in the city. No #Starbucks. Limited bathrooms. #livingthedreamegaudet
HIMSS team responds to water problem at #HIMSS13. This unidentified volunteer seen posting signs on water fountains. http://pic.twitter.com/SEmy73FWLMBob Brown
OH: Starbucks can’t serve coffee. This water boil order means business. #himss13Collin Searle
#himss13 for those of us that drank NOLA water today, what’s the issue? Feel 3rd eye growing in.Phil Salm
Good yr 2 miss #HIMSS13 RT @john_chilmark: why toliets backed up in conv Ctr? Via @jbeaudoin: Loss of water pressure http://bigstory.ap.org/article/loss-water-pressure-reported-across-new-orleansPenelopeM
For many attendees, the current boil-water advisory is the #himss13 version of the Super Bowl power outage.Chris Seper
The massive line of cars driving out of HIMSS? The vendors running to the store to buy bottled water to hand out to everyone. #HIMSS13Steve Huffman
Too much water coming from the #HIMSS13 hash tag fire hose? Follow @HIMSS13 for tweets you won’t have to boil. #healthIT :)HIMSS13
#HIMSS13 is like drinking water from a fire hose. Too bad we’re under a boil alert.Mark Goodall
oh my word…. we are on a cruise ship NOLA Officials re bathing: Close eyes & mouth, min time in water.http://www.wwltv.com/news/Widespread-reports-of-low-or-no-water-pressure-throughout-city-194647241.html #HIMSS13Kourtney Govro
Don’t drink the tap water #himss13 #nola @GlennLanteigne http://pic.twitter.com/mvILkamMAURobyn Fulkerson
awesome. boil water advisory in #nola. #himss13. NO ICE!Zach Otey
@Brad_Justus …especially since we’re under a "boil water" order. No worries with vodka! #HIMSS13 #ICD10 BloodyMary on #Kforce! ;)Mandi Bishop
Thirsty? No water for 35K+ attendees might be a problem… #HIMSS13 http://pic.twitter.com/05TBkYkaLRBrain Sediment
It includes the convention center area of New Orleans. #himss13 #HIMSS #CHIME #CHIMECIO http://new.nola.gov/mayor/press-releases/2013/20130303-city-updates-public-on-boil-water-advisor/ http://pic.twitter.com/P8efLSWIa3Ken Deans
Of course on my first trip to NOLA there is a boil water order. Yikes! #HIMSS13Amanda King
Pulling into downtown N’Orleans. Be sure to not bath too well and drink bottled water (so I’m reading!). #HIMSS13George Hill
Ha! RT @wellness_layers We’re here! Don’t drink the water! Time for a glass of wine! #HIMSS13 #HIMSSanity http://pic.twitter.com/fNtn0kvzYALynne Durham

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