Greetings, ASHHRA Colleagues!

There are numerous awards and celebrations throughout October. To mention a few, I'd like to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Case Management Week, ER Nurses Week, Healthcare Supply Chain Week, Pharmacy Week, Quality/Infection Control Week, Facilities Week, Nutritional Services Week, Compliance Week, and Sterile Processing Revenue Cycle Week. I want to deliver flowers to our employees while they are here because acknowledging and celebrating the Healthcare Heroes is very vital in our profession.

We have a ton of exciting new ASHHRA activities this month. The ASHHRA team launches the inaugural ASHHRA Executive Summit with key CHROs and executive leaders in the healthcare industry. The event convenes leaders to discuss how we face the challenges we've encountered and the next steps for expanding our profession. I am looking forward to lively and engaging conversations.

I also look forward to change and fresh starts. The organization I work for reviewed and decided to lift requirements for staff to wear masks. Staff still have the option to wear a mask if they choose. This is a further indication of progress in our organization's management of COVID-19 spread and the general decline in cases. This is also a light shining in the distance of the road ahead.

I’d also like to remind you of the upcoming deadline for the ASHHRA23 Call for Abstracts, which is Friday, Oct. 14. I know you have some innovative and interesting insights that would be beneficial for our profession so I strongly encourage you to submit your ideas. Learn more at ASHHRA.org/Speak.

I want to thank you all for everything you do every day, and I hope to see you all in Charlotte, North Carolina for ASHHRA23, April 23 – 25!

Carl McDonald, MSHRM, PHR, SHRM-CP
ASHHRA President

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