CEO Update: Love You, Mean It

Those are powerful words and words that typically are saved for family and close friends.  Last month I boarded a plan in Dulles, while severe thunderstorms raged in Denver.  The words you never want to hear while on a plane came through the intercom: we are delayed.  However, the lead flight attendant, every time he gave an announcement, from the time we first boarded the plane to the time when we arrived in Denver, ended with Love You, Mean It.  Those kind words endeared all of us as a “community” on that plane – no-one got visibly angry and things didn’t get out of control because of those words from the lead flight attendant.

While our rural hospitals and clinics are facing a financial crisis not seen in many of our lifetimes, imagine a community coming together to ensure the survival of these facilities.  A dear friend and colleague of mine introduced me to a movement called 100% community.  The basic concept is this: by an entire community working together they can not only survive but thrive!  Dr. Bill Soules, New Mexico State Senator says, “For all of us who believe that we can make everyone’s health, safety, resilience and readiness for crisis a priority, this book shows the way.”

If you want to learn more I encourage you to attend CRHC’s Annual Conference to hear a keynote presentation from Michelle Rathman of Impact Communication.  During “A Recipe for Thriving in an Industry Teetering on Life-Support,” Michelle Rathman shares the essential ingredients to reigniting, reengaging, and reinforcing the need to strengthen and expand local systems of care and SDoH resources, and revive recruitment and retention initiatives left to boil over on the back burner.

Attendees of this session will learn and explore:

• Strategies to develop, enhance and advance internal stakeholder engagement
• Approaches to construct, conduct, and launch community conversations about the importance of protecting and investing in local systems of health infrastructure
• Concepts to engage local and regional SDoH influencers to partner with and co-create “Upstream Communities.”
• Making advocacy efforts a priority for all stakeholders
• Tools and methods for using storytelling for recruitment and retention

Ultimately, this session will whet appetites and inspire participants to acquire a taste for trying something different.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the conference!  Love You, Mean It!