Welcome to the start of our 2012 Annual Research Meeting! We're blogging live from Orlando this week as we join the vibrant and diverse community of more than 2,000 researchers, policymakers, and practitioners for this premier forum for health services research. This ARM is an exciting event for us—it's an opportunity to connect with our members, hear about their work to improve health and health care, and learn about new innovations for our field. Though today kicks off the official meeting, more than 500 people participated in yesterday's Interest Group meetings, sharing emerging research findings in specialized areas. The first event on today's agenda is one of our favorites: the Meet-the-Experts Breakfast, where students and new professionals have the opportunity to connect with established researchers. The breakfast is where we get to meet the next generation of health services researchers and learn about their passions and goals. Among those joining us at the breakfast are the recipients of the Alice S. Hersh Student Scholarships, and we congratulate them on their selection as some of the most promising student members. By now you've picked up your materials and noticed the sheer size of this year's conference agenda book. It's certainly packed, and we're looking forward to a few highlights on day one:
Opening Plenary: Impact of CER on Health Services Research 12:45-2:15 p.m. | Northern Hemisphere A discussion of CER's opportunities and challenges for researchers and policy professionals, led by a panel of key stakeholders including Arnold Epstein, Carolyn Clancy, Reed Tuckson, and Joe Selby.
Poster Voting Poster Session A | 2:30-4:00 p.m. | Pacific Hall Participate in our on-site poll to find an outstanding poster. The researchers whose posters receive the most votes will be recorded for a virtual poster session. Instructions will be available in the poster hall.
Welcome Reception 6:00-6:45 p.m. | Americas Seminar Those attending ARM for the first time are invited to this informal reception with AcademyHealth leaders.
Innovation Station 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. | Convention Foyer - Lobby Level Visit the Innovation Station to access new tools, resources, and mobile applications for health services research. Experts will be available throughout the day for various technology and data resource presentations.
We'll be providing session summaries throughout the meeting -- with some help from our inaugural class of Presidential Scholars—and staying active on Twitter (official hashtag: #arm12). Follow along and we look forward to seeing you in the sessions.