I wanted to share with you some preliminary results of the phone interviews that Christy and I have been conducting with the membership.  We thank the 33 members that gave us a small portion of your busy time to participate in the phone interview.  We would love to talk to the 14 members that we have been unable to connect with so far.  If you have not been interviewed and have some time this week, please let me know.

So, from the 69% of the membership that we talked with we heard the following about top NCHN services; relevant news and information; and suggestions for new programs.  The Membership Committee will be reviewing the results of the phone interviews and making recommendations to the Board.  If you would like to be involved in this process by serving on the Membership Committee, please let me know.

Here’s what we heard from you:

Top Service

1. Annual Educational Conference

News and Information that is most relevant

• What other networks are doing

Top Suggestions for New Programs/Services

(RE: “What kind of services can we offer that would make the membership more valuable to you and to your network members?”)

• Peer to peer learning: Facilitate communication/networking among networks of similar structure, composition, and/or development

In order to reserve your space in one of the top three services of NCHN, make plans now to attend the 2014 NCHN Educational Conference, June 17-20, 2014 in St. Louis, MO.  The Conference Planning Committee reviewed 18 presentation proposals last week and were so excited about not only the quantity, but the quality of proposals received.   The hotel contract is in the final stages and lodging reservation information and registration details will be available by the middle of February. Please register early and make your room reservations, so that you can ensure your place at the 20^th Annual Conference!  We certainly have a lot to celebrate this year and want you to be a part of the celebration!

And, we really need your help in the area of news and information that you want to receive from NCHN – “what other networks are doing.”  We would love to have a network feature each issue, but you need to provide us with the information to develop such a column.  If you are interested in sharing information about a specific project or activity your network is addressing, please contact Christy.  She will be happy to work with you to develop a feature article.  Another way each one of you can contribute to this body of knowledge about networks is to complete and/or update your network profile on the NCHN website.  If you need assistance, please contact Christy.

Here are two upcoming events that provide the second top service members appreciate – networking opportunities:  

• Special Call on National Rural ACO model – Friday, January 24 @ 12:00 PM ET
• January Coffee/Tea Chat - Friday, January 31 @ 11:00 AM ET

As, we move forward in 2014, remember to take care of yourself!  We all have a lot of important work to do this year!