| WSHEF President's Message |
2020 has continued to
be a challenging year for healthcare. We
have collectively experienced the origination of a novel coronavirus, reacted
to initial transmission of COVID-19 and experienced a diversity of different challenges
related to the community spread of the virus. We have all experienced a dramatic shift in our daily lives, personally
and professionally. As we bid farewell
to 2020, we do so with two approved mRNA vaccines being deployed throughout the
country with our front line clinical staff being in the first wave of
vaccinations, ensuring they can continue to care for our communities with
reduced risk to their own health.
This year has been
represented by not just a novel virus, but by novel approaches to caring for
the great state of Washington. The
members of Washington State Healthcare Executives Forum have all contributed
their passions and skillsets to launching telemedicine platforms, shifting
appropriate care encounters to virtual environments, curtailing elective procedures
to ensure proper PPE was available for our acute care environments, identifying
new pathways and protocols of care and by being agile and resilient towards
applying new practices to reduce risk and build the confidence that we are
here, every day, to provide for our communities.
Through 2020, the
WSHEF Board has accomplished much in ensuring that there was ample interaction,
points of communication and that we helped to foster professional development
opportunities for you. But what we have truly
been in awe of is all the phenomenal work we have witnessed from you and your
healthcare organizations. WSHEF did its
best to support you all by shifting our priorities and educational focus
towards pandemic related topics, we focused on how best to lead strategic
change, and we helped by delivering our educational and social opportunities
through virtual interfaces so we could be together, remotely. The WSHEF Board and Committee members have
done great work to support you all and we have learned a lifetime of wisdom
through your actions. The teamwork, the
perseverance, the empathy, the compassion and the resiliency you all have shown
is the true activity we want to recognize and be grateful for. THANK YOU!
A special thank you to
one individual who has been involved with WSHEF for many years and who has left
a great impression on our values, practices and leadership competencies. Lori Nomura will be stepping away from the
Board as she has served as our immediate past-president, through 2020, and has
held many other Board and Committee roles throughout her history with
WSHEF. Lori’s approach and
thoughtfulness has been a constant and we look forward to seeing her at future
events.
As we look to tomorrow,
I want to thank the entire WSHEF Board and the officers, President-Elect Parke
Corbin, Past President Lori Nomura, Secretary Sue Miller and Treasurer Ryan
Sundquist. It has been a pleasure working with you all and I look
forward to welcoming our new board members, Andrea Turner (past Regent) and Chris
Coon as well as your new Washington State Regent, Karin Larson-Pollack.
The Board will be
holding a half day retreat in January to plan for the year ahead. If
you have questions or ideas for the Board to consider, we welcome your
input! Feel free to reach out to me at bsbarry@multicare.org.
I hope you have
a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for the New Year!
Brian Barry
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