Growing up on a dairy farm meant trips out of town were few and far between. "After all," Mom would say, “the cows don’t just milk themselves, you know.”
Three-hour road trips to visit aunts and uncles in the Twin Cities were a big deal. Wide-eyed in the back seat, anticipation would build as we approached the city.
The increasing frequency of green exit signs, coupled with Mom’s increasing anxiety and passenger-side-braking, indicated good times ahead. The first time “Bass Lake Road” appeared on an exit sign, all passengers were on high alert to ensure we didn’t miss the off-ramp.
The green exit signs I saw on my way home from our January MHSCN board meeting brought back those feelings of childhood anticipation. I left this meeting and strategic planning session knowing good things are just ahead for MHSCN.
To everyone who took the time to complete our recent survey, thank you. Your feedback gives us direction to better serve our members and prospective members and will be valuable in shaping our future. I'd summarize the highlights of our findings and next steps this way:
- MHSCN matters. We serve a niche in the healthcare marketing, communications and strategy space that no one else does. We will update our Mission Statement and Board Structure in 2018 to better reflect and fulfill this purpose.
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Content is king. We hear you loud and clear. MHSCN needs to deliver more:
- content for higher level professionals
- short-format events that include both learning and networking
- opportunities at different times of the day or days of the week
- places to get content – webinars, case studies, virtual conferences and out-state locations
- Members want to engage. We hear you loud and clear. MHSCN needs to deliver more. For members who can’t or prefer not to serve on the MHSCN board, we’ll identify more opportunities to engage you in the work of your chapter, including small project subcommittees, conference volunteer options or networking through volunteering.
We are also exploring Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) Chapter Affiliation and believe this will be a partnership that will strengthen MHSCN’s content, connections and overall value. Stay tuned.
Finally, a quick shout out to welcome our new board members. Allison, Amy, Martha and Erika have joined the ranks of the bright, dedicated, forward-looking professionals who volunteer their time to keep MHSCN relevant.
Our eyes are on the road, and the signs will lead us on a really great trip in 2018.
Katie Johnson
MHSCN president, 2018
