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FHIR Foundations Bootcamp
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6 Min Read

Why we created the HL7 FHIR Foundations Bootcamp – and why it might be exactly where your FHIR journey should begin

Mirjam Baltus

New to FHIR? You are not alone

If you have ever looked at FHIR and thought, “This seems important… but also a little overwhelming,” you are definitely not alone.

Over the years, I’ve trained many people who were just getting started with HL7 FHIR. Some were developers. Some were architects. Some were project managers, product managers, analysts, or healthcare professionals who suddenly found themselves in the middle of an interoperability project. Different backgrounds, same feeling: I know I need to understand this better — but where do I begin?

That question is exactly why we created the HL7 FHIR Foundations Bootcamp for DevDays 2026.

This new preconference program is designed for people who are new to FHIR and want a strong, practical, and welcoming introduction before the main conference begins. It will take place on Monday, June 15, 2026, in Minneapolis, just before HL7 FHIR DevDays conference starts. The Bootcamp is positioned as a beginner-friendly introduction to the fundamentals of FHIR and a way to get more value from the rest of the conference.

A great way to start DevDays

DevDays brings together people from across the FHIR community to share ideas, learn from real-world implementations, and connect with others working on interoperability. For newcomers, that is exciting, but it can also feel like a lot.

You hear words like resources, profiling, terminology, SMART on FHIR, implementation guides, search parameters, and before lunch, you may already feel like everyone else got the manual except you. That is exactly what this Bootcamp is here to fix.

Built for beginners

We created the HL7 FHIR Foundations Bootcamp as a place where beginners can start with confidence. Not by throwing everything at you at once, but by helping you understand the core building blocks first.

The program is designed to introduce participants to the fundamentals of FHIR, including resources, REST APIs, profiling, search, terminologies, and SMART on FHIR, through expert-led sessions, demos, and practical exercises.

That practical element is very important to me as a trainer, because FHIR starts to make much more sense once you can actually see it in action.

Not just for technical experts 

And no, this is not only for highly technical people. One of the nicest things about FHIR is that it brings together many different roles. The Bootcamp is meant for developers, architects, and engineers, but also for project managers, product managers, business professionals, and clinical professionals who are involved in FHIR-based initiatives. No prior FHIR experience is required.

So if you have ever thought, “I’m not technical enough for this,” let me say this very clearly: you do not need to be an expert to start. You just need curiosity.

Learn the basics, and the bigger picture 

The Bootcamp is about more than definitions and diagrams. It is designed to help people understand how FHIR works in practice, how data is exchanged securely, which tools and concepts matter most, and how all of this connects to real implementation work. That matters because FHIR is not just something you read about. It is something you use, apply, discuss, and build with.

Get more out of the full conference   

Taking the Bootcamp before the main DevDays conference means you will walk into the rest of the week with a much stronger foundation. Instead of feeling like an outsider, you will be ready to engage, ask better questions, and get much more value out of the full DevDays experience.

Is this for you?

  • It is for the person who has heard about FHIR but wants a proper introduction.
  • It is for the professional who is about to start a FHIR project and wants to feel prepared.
  • It is for the DevDays attendee who wants to arrive on day one with context, confidence, and momentum.
  • And it is for anyone who wants to learn in a way that is practical, friendly, and energizing.

If that sounds like you, I would love to welcome you in Minneapolis.

How to join

The HL7 FHIR Foundations Bootcamp takes place on Monday, June 15, 2026, at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis. It is a standalone preconference program, so you can register with or without a DevDays conference ticket. Registration is open through the DevDays website.

Come join us. Bring your curiosity, your questions, and your beginner’s mind. FHIR is a big world. But every expert in it started somewhere.
This could be your place to start.