Join Us at the HASC Annual Meeting, May 17 to 19

It’s that time of year again and HASC staff are preparing to welcome members at our 2023 Annual Meeting. Empower and Elevate will be the theme as we aim to inspire leaders to harness their strengths to enhance health care delivery – ultimately, empowering our patients and elevating their well-being. 

This year’s conference will take place May 17 to 19 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, Palm Desert, CA. We look forward to gathering with members to learn from renowned speakers and enjoy the fellowship of peers in a relaxed environment. The early bird registration deadline has been extended to Monday, Feb. 13 — I urge you to register now to take advantage of the special discounted rate and ensure your space.

I’m pleased to announce a standout speaker lineup for the event:

• Vice Admiral Raquel C. Bono, MD, MBA, FACS, served for nearly 30 years with honor and distinction as a highly respected naval officer and the first female surgeon in the U.S. military to hold the rank of Vice Admiral. As the former CEO and director, Defense Health Agency, Vice Admiral Dr. Bono led a joint integrated combat support agency that enabled the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force medical services to provide health care to combatant commands.
  
  In her session, A Prescription for Co-creating Health Care with Our Patients, Dr. Bono will detail her framework for designing the care continuum with patients, co-creating a delivery system informed by their values and priorities and responsive to their needs.

• Thom Mayer, MD, FACEP, FAAP, FACHE, is the medical director for the NFL Players Association, executive vice president of leadership for LogixHealth and clinical professor of emergency medicine at George Washington University, among many roles. The originator of the entire NFL Concussion Guidelines program, he has changed the nature of concussion diagnosis and management worldwide.
  
  Dr. Mayer is one of the most widely sought speakers on health care patient experience, leadership and management, trauma and emergency care, pediatric emergency care and sports medicine. He will provide an inspiring and practical message on driving innovation and overcoming resistance to change in his session, Innovation at the Speed of Trust.

• Shola Richards is CEO and founder of Go Together Global™ and an au­thority on civility and workplace happiness. The best-sell­ing author of Making Work Work and Go Together, he has been featured in media outlets including the Today Show, CBS This Morning, Forbes and Black Enterprise. Shola has shared his message of positivity with top health care organizations, universi­ties and corporations, and the U.S. House of Representatives.
  
  In his session, The Courage to Go Together, Shola will discuss how working in harmony with one another will allow us to achieve much more than we can alone. While far from easy in our increasingly combative world, this goal has the potential to transform both our workplaces and ourselves for good.

Our speakers are visionaries and leaders who will provoke thoughtful discussion on how we can evolve and work together to shape the future of health care. The HASC Annual Meeting is the preeminent health care executive event in the state, and we look forward to enjoying your company this year in Palm Desert.

Take care and stay safe.

George G.