In case people missed the April interview with CEO Ginni Rometty, IBM announced the introduction of Watson Health. (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-04-17/ibm-ceo-ginni-rometty-charlie-rose-04-17-?cmpid=yhoo) While not unusual for a technology company, that foray into what she describes as a complex healthcare world suggests that our examination of Big Data at this year’s Leaders Conference was timely. In that interview, however, Ms. Rometty also had some interesting things to say about transforming IBM. The company is substantially different in terms of products and services offered compared with 10 or even 5 years ago. She provided evidence of the ability of a multi-billion dollar organization’s ability to remake itself. Her words of wisdom included “Don’t protect the past.”
While neither our member programs nor AUPHA is likely to divest a core business as IBM did by selling its personal computer division several years ago, we too must contemplate change. Programs and services once cherished may have to go or change to make room for the needs of the future. That process is never easy, nor done without a great deal of uncertainty but transformation can enable an organization to survive. The question is how do you determine the appropriate future course?
Sadly, I don’t have the answer to that question but I do know that you must continuously gather information on best practices and true innovation. One of the best ways to do that is during the 2015 AUPHA Annual Meeting. Its theme “Teaching Leadership for Population Health: How to hit a moving target” provides an opportunity to prepare yourself and you program for the future. Starting with our outstanding keynote speakers, Dr. Herminia Palacio, Director of Leadership and Human Capital, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Carlos Migoya, President and CEO, Jackson Health System, you will be exposed to the ideas and actions of these outstanding and successful leaders.
That is not all, however: We have three “think tank” sessions addressing competency-based learning, engaging alumni, and preparing diverse students for success. These extended sessions will each provide an opportunity to increase your understanding of these complex challenges.
At the other extreme, the twelve “ignite” sessions (new this year) will provide an opportunity to get a quick exposure to a number of important topics. This short delivery mechanism (similar to TED talks) generates a broader range of leaning but with less time to delve deeply into the topic. We hope that this technology catches on because it enables us to present more interesting topics during the meeting. We think these will be popular because the Annual Meeting provides ample time to extend the short discussions with presenters during breaks or receptions. We also have again the moderated Practitioner Panel that will give everyone the chance to hear from a variety of practitioner leaders. Finally, after success last year, the Fishbowl session returns this year.
Naturally, not everything is entirely new. The highly informative and successful education sessions are back Thursday and Friday plus we have a host of Faculty Forum, roundtable discussions, workshops, poster sessions, and receptions. There are even opportunities to honor distinguished awardees with the William B Graham Prize for Health Services Research, John D. Thompson Prize for Young Investigators, and the Gary L. Filerman Prize for Educational Leadership.
Least you think all is work, we are in the wonderful city of Miami this year so some fun time is available as well. You should use the Annual Meeting to “play” ahead of the game.