As we approach Thanksgiving, I am inspired to reach out to our members across the country and across the continuum of care to express our gratitude for everything you do, directly or indirectly, to fight the pandemic and to care for our communities, families and loved ones.
The team at the College’s national office, our Board and Chapter volunteers are here to help and support you. Remember that we offer a range of resources and support to help you as leaders and if there is something missing, do not hesitate to let us know. We pride ourselves on delivering responsive, real time and relevant programming.
Here are a few examples of recent successful activities that have been well received by members and health leaders:
- We delivered our first virtual Annual General Meeting on September 16, and we welcomed Marianne Walker, CHE as the new Chair of the Board for 2020-2022. We are indebted to outgoing Board Chair Feisal Keshavjee, CHE;
- The 2020 CCHL National Awards Program was featured during an online celebration on September 16, 2020. The video of the celebration is available on our YouTube channel and features the recipients’ acceptance speeches and award sponsors;
- We continuously deliver a number of virtual HPRS round table events, dozens of chapter and national webinars, peer support sessions and corporate webinars that have been well attended day after day, week after week throughout the pandemic;
- We have welcomed 10 new corporate members in 2020 to date;
- New member registrations and CHE registrations are running at an all time high; and
- The LEADS seminar series is now available online, and response to date has been brisk and positive.
It has become clear to us that health leaders are making personal decisions to embark on a leadership journey to help them through the current crisis and future challenges. Looking forward into the fall (and dare I say into the second wave of the pandemic), we are committed to supporting leaders with more resources, such as:
- We will continue with virtual programming in real time and in context throughout the fall and into 2021;
- We are pleased to present our annual BC Health Leaders Conference (BCHLC), open to health leaders from across Canada. Themed “Finding your compass: Leading through uncertainty”, the conference will be held virtually on October 29-30, 2020. Join us and discover how leadership through innovation, creativity, and flexibility can help you find and trust your leadership compass; and
- The College has created an internal committee that is working on an EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) action plan to actively raise awareness about diversity, inclusion and racism and support our staff and members with knowledge and resource sharing opportunities. One such opportunity, the LEADS Exchange series on Addressing Racism, took place late in September where participants heard from Dr. Alika Lafontaine and Michele James, as they shared their personal stories, insights and actions to fight racism in healthcare.
Beyond the fall, we are also working hard to determine how the College will respond in 2021 and beyond. We are engaged in a consultation process with our Board, chapters, corporate partners, and collaborators to determine what we need to change, sharpen or add in our programming and resources. But one priority has become clear. We will be looking at new ways to provide health leaders with strong sense of community, support and mentorship.
The staff of CCHL’s national office continues to work from home and are all connected and available to support you. New relevant content and resources are consistently being made available on our website, including “Leadership in a Crisis” research and materials, as well as Healthcare Management Forum articles, blogs and podcasts. For the latest information, please visit the College’s COVID-19 resource and content portal.
In closing, I will reiterate our thanks to all of you. More than ever, leadership in health really matters.
If we can do anything to help you be a better leader, please let us know. Until then, take care,
Alain Doucet, MBA
President & CEO
