As folks across the nation dig out from reoccurring winter storms and thoughts turn to spring and warmer weather, a group of NCHN members are busy planning NCHN’s 20^th Annual Educational Conference. The event will be one of the best networking and educational opportunity for health network leaders across the country. The Conference Planning Committee received more presentation proposals than ever before!  Registration information and lodging reservation details will be available in the next eNews!  Also, watch for information about exhibit and sponsorship opportunities. Eight NCHN members have already step forward with a donation to support the keynote speaker program.  It is not too late to add your support to the 2014 Conference.  If you are interested, please just let me know.

This year the Conference is June 17-20 in St. Louis, Missouri.  On Tuesday, June 17, a pre-conference workshop, “Network Collaboration Workshop:  How to Add Value to your Network and Promote Health within Your Community” will be offer by the National Rural Health Resource Center. The Network Collaboration Workshop is a 4 hour interactive session providing specific skills development, peer discussion, and practice opportunities designed for rural health network leaders to support their work in building meaningful and impactful collaborations. Collaboration is one of the keys to success in our changing health care environment and being a capable and effective collaboration leader is becoming increasingly important. Specifically, rural health provider organizations, network members, are preparing themselves for changes in health care, such as, care transitions, telemedicine, health information exchange, patient engagement, and a primary care provider focus. Networks are called to meet their members’ needs with effective collaboration. During the workshop, there will be a focus on Leading Collaboration and Building Trust in Collaborative Partnerships. Specific How-To training will be supplemented with interactive discussion and a panel of peers describing their collaboration challenges, successes, and lessons learned.

NCHN is looking for a few good network leaders interested in becoming involved in the management and governance of the Association.  Information about Director positions will be distributed within the next few days.  If you have thought about how you could become more involved in NCHN and expand your leadership skills from your network to the national level, please consider serving as a Director. NCHN’s Board of Directors is comprised of NCHN members, serving as volunteer Directors and are elected by their peers. 

And, we are attempting one last push to complete the member phone interviews. Thanks to the approximately 80% of members that have participated in an interview.  We would like to achieve 100% participation in this process, so if you have not been interviewed, we will be in touch.  Please take the time to give us your feedback!