Fall Forum Offers Formal and Informal Educational and Networking Opportunities
10.16.2019
Cletis Earle, CHCIO, Chair, Foundation Board; SVP & CIO, Information Technology Kaleida Health
The 2019 CHIME Fall CIO Forum is fast approaching, and as your Foundation Board chair I am looking forward to the opportunity to give an update during the forum on the gains we have made this year. I encourage you to use this opportunity to learn, meet members from CHIME and have frank discussions about their needs and your possible solutions.
The forum’s collegial atmosphere makes it unlike other conferences. The emphasis is on education, both formal and informal. Everyone is welcome to attend keynote addresses, sunrise sessions, track sessions and a newer program called Leadership from the Edge. CHIME also has scheduled breakfasts, lunches, dinners and networking receptions that are ideal for informal exchanges.
Foundation partners who arrive on Sunday can attend another program that is close to my heart, the Diversity and Inclusion Forum from 3 to 5:30 p.m. As chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, I will introduce the event along with other members, and then we and attendees will explore topics like best practices and diversity training. Registration is available here.
Focus groups offer another chance to gain valuable knowledge and get to know CHIME members. The CHIME Foundation team provides many tips and resources to help our partners get the most from their focus groups. I have a few suggestions, too, offered from the perspective of a CIO.
First, focus groups are a wonderful opportunity for those of us in provider settings to help guide the direction of our industry. The focus group experiences that get us engaged and energized are the ones that seek our opinions, for instance about a product or a new direction the company is contemplating. On the flip side, focus group sessions that appear to be a sales pitch are likely to get a cool response and do little for building a long-term relationship.
Focus groups that bring in a mix of healthcare IT leaders from different regions and different types and sizes of organizations can prove to be enlightening – both for us, the participants, and for the focus group hosts. Hearing from organizations as varied as large academic healthcare systems to small and rural hospitals, or from similar types of organizations that are based in different areas of the country, can paint a broader picture of an issue or trend in healthcare.
It also helps to be flexible and open minded – that applies to participants and hosts alike. You never know where the discussion may take you, so be prepared for some surprises!
Please reach out to the CHIME Foundation team at [email protected] if you need anything in advance of CHIME19, and be sure to say hello once you are in Phoenix.