As we celebrate Hospital Week, I want to take a moment to recognize and express my deepest appreciation for our member hospitals. Every day, you demonstrate unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of our communities, providing care, comfort and hope to those who need it most. Your resilience, compassion and dedication are nothing short of extraordinary — and for that, HASC is truly grateful.
I also want to extend my sincere thanks to each of you who joined us in Indian Wells for the 2025 HASC Annual Meeting. Your presence, participation and partnership made this year’s event one of our most engaging and thought-provoking gatherings to date.
From the outset, our program was designed to spark conversation and connection — and thanks to your energy, the event delivered just that. Our keynote speakers brought powerful insights:
- April Hansen, MSN, RN, CEO of Barton Associates, shared her Growth Game Plan™ framework, offering practical tools to help leaders adapt and innovate in today’s dynamic health care landscape.
- Geeta Nayyar, MD, MBA, a renowned physician and technologist, discussed how embracing a human-centered approach to innovation, including the integration of artificial intelligence, can lead to better health and business outcomes.
- Andrew Busch, economic futurist and former chief market intelligence officer for the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, provided an enlightening perspective on future economic trends and growth opportunities impacting the health care sector.
We also extend our gratitude to Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association, for providing a timely and informative update on state and federal issues shaping the future of health care policy. Her insights underscored the importance of unified advocacy at every level of government.
During my own remarks, I spoke about the strength and resilience of Southern California’s hospitals in the face of the devastating wildfires earlier this year. I had the privilege of sharing a moving video spotlighting Huntington Hospital’s extraordinary response to the Eaton Fire. The staff’s many efforts included converting nontraditional spaces for patient care, welcoming displaced skilled nursing patients and supporting colleagues who themselves had lost homes or been affected by evacuation orders. I encourage you to watch the video and see firsthand how compassion and commitment guided their actions: Watch here
A heartfelt thank you also goes to our sponsors, members and associate members whose continued support helps make this event possible. And finally, I’d like to recognize the outstanding HASC team, whose behind-the-scenes work brought our Annual Meeting to life with thoughtful programming and seamless execution. We look forward to continuing the conversations we started in Indian Wells — and to seeing you again at future events, including our My SoCal Hospital Heroes Awards this fall.
Take care and stay safe.
George G.