Plane tickets. Hotel rooms. Buffet lines. All aspects of travel that we took for granted prior to year 2020. As we sit here in our hybrid of work-from-home and in-person offices, we are thankful to be halfway through 2022 with conference experiences full of firm handshakes, conversational dinners, and excellent relationships. Here is a quick recap of the in-person events we traveled to in the first half of 2022 as your partners in healthcare excellence.
Elevate PX – Indianapolis, Indiana
In March, The Beryl Institute hosted their annual conference focusing on improving the patient experience for all. PRC had the pleasure of being #TogetherAgain and attending client sessions alongside our partners at the Healthcare Experience Foundation. Client partners such as Win Howard, FACHE, CEO, from Asante Three Rivers Medical Center and Garret Anderson, MHA, Manager of Patient Experience, from NCH Healthcare System presented respectively on patient safety and resiliency among employees. While attendees were required to wear masks at this event, we were eager to meet with a handful of new partners whom we had never met in person before. “[It was great] being able to talk to people face-to-face for the first time in a couple years,” remarked Client Success Manager, Tim Bowen. The teams gathered for dinner at St. Elmo’s to discuss the conference, ways to navigate the new normal in a post-pandemic world, and our favorite, catching up on the latest and greatest patient experience strategies from our clients.
American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) Conference – Phoenix, Arizona
In April, a group of PRC teammates spent three days in the Arizona dry heat for ASHHRA’s annual conference. The opening ceremony sprung an inspirational message from Dr. Jen Arnold and Bill Klein, known as “The Little Couple,” where they focused on resiliency and the acronym T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. Other big themes at the conference included post-pandemic challenges and the scary increase of nursing shortages. On the second day of ASHHRA, Dr. Cynthia King and Katie Owens shared their knowledge on “Re-engaging Employees in Times of Crisis.” The two PRC speakers conducted a different type of presentation style, encouraging attendees to share experiences with one another, text a friend with kudos and recognition, and other interactive activities. Dr. King noted that she was impressed with the large crowd and active participation that took place during their session. “Sometimes it’s hard in such a big group for people to share their experiences, but this was great. Conversations were everywhere,” said Dr. King. The team representing PRC hosted a client happy hour and attended the nightly conference social events, making memories to last beyond the workplace.
Accelerating Health Equity Conference- Cleveland, Ohio
In May, our CHNA team plus a few friendly faces from our Client Success team traveled to Cleveland, Ohio for the AHA Accelerating Health Equity Conference. Alongside our prize wheel and collection of timely community health resources, we hosted a local caricature artist as a complimentary souvenir for visiting our booth.
In the exhibit area, we stood alongside some great partners in healthcare such as HCA and CredibleMind. Conveniently, the hall for exhibitors was located right outside main session rooms, so we had the pleasure of popping into the opening keynote with Heather McGhee as well as a few client presentations. Kenneth Morris and his colleague from St. Joesph’s Health presented alongside professionals from Bon Secours and the Richmond Association of Realtors, answering questions about their initiatives to create equitable housing in their area. With 728 attendees from 44 states, the conference was filled with insights on population health, introductions of new DEI measures, health equity initiatives, and giddy smiles to be back in person again.
Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit-(HMPS) Salt Lake City, Utah
Also in May, our Client Success team had the pleasure of sponsoring and attending HMPS in Salt Lake City. Inside our 10X20’ booth, we enticed attendees with materials like our 2022 National Healthcare Consumer Study as well as a chance to spin our prize wheel for a yo-yo, fidget spinner/bottle opener, or Amazon gift card. During the sessions, we explored a variety of facets of healthcare themes such as the outlook for the next decade, Gen X as consumers, and our very own input on transparency among your physicians.
Suzanne Hendery, MS, APR, from Renown Health, Andy Ibbotson with Ratings.MD and Karla Cardoza, MPH, CPXP, from PRC presented on the collaboration between the three organizations resulting in an extreme increase in Renown’s patient experience scores. “Everyone is collecting feedback through these surveys, it’s just an untapped asset waiting to be released,” said Ibbotson. Among the presentations at HMPS, PRC sponsored a luncheon with a message from Paul Keckley, Ph.D. on the expectations of U.S. health policy. With the room jam packed with healthcare professionals and blue PRC lunch boxes, Dr. Keckley remained unbiased with his facts on the healthcare system and political agendas. Overall, the conference gave us an opportunity to enjoy an Italian dinner with our clients, converse with eager attendees, and share insights with fellow healthcare marketing professionals.
PRC is delighted to once again be attending events with you and your organization. We are halfway through 2022 and have no intent of slowing down and plan on meeting our partners where they are, physically and symbolically. Keep tabs on our Insights page or social media, @PRCExcellence, to pinpoint where we can discuss your next steps to healthcare experience excellence. If you aren’t quite comfortable travelling yet but are eager to learn, we’re pleased to extend an invite to our virtual PRC Healthcare Experience Summit set for Wednesday, September 28. We hope to see you soon!