NAHQ ThinQ Tank: The power of volunteerism to advance quality & safety

Recently, NAHQ hosted its first-ever ThinQ Tank, convening an esteemed group of diverse thought leaders, change makers and disruptors, representing providers, payors, policymakers, and broad viewpoints across the full healthcare ecosystem.

We felt it was critical to bring this group together now because the challenges we face in healthcare are significant – the urgent need to improve patient care, reduce rising costs, and address an impending workforce shortage “cliff”. But, the opportunity to meet those challenges with big ideas and bold solutions is even greater. We believe the expanded role of quality & safety holds the key to some of the most innovative and effective answers, so we rallied this group together to engage and explore the role quality & safety can play in developing far-reaching solutions.

I, along with my fellow NAHQ board members, were privileged to be part of this meeting, working with such dedicated and solutions-driven individuals. I was impressed they made this meeting such a priority, committing a day and a half of their busy schedules to travel to participate in this important gathering. For that, I have a tremendous sense of gratitude. They made this a priority because…Quality Matters.

I want to take this opportunity to share a few affirmations from this important event with you.

The power of engagement. The level of openness and willingness to share different perspectives from across the continuum of care on the challenges and opportunities the industry faces was refreshing and important to hear. We had the conversations that need to be had. These voices and visions will be an invaluable addition to help shape the future of quality & safety — and healthcare — for the better.
The power of collaboration. There were so many great ideas identified — some helped to build on NAHQ solutions already in the works, others opened whole new avenues. We are excited to continue to harness the power of this brain trust and keep the momentum going and will keep you informed of our progress.
The power of commitment. This distinctive group’s contributions will continue to shape groundbreaking solutions that will make a meaningful difference in achieving long-term healthcare excellence. Being in the room, I could feel the unity and unwavering determination that everyone had to continue working together to be a collective force for positive change.

This week is National Volunteer Week. As I think about the NAHQ ThinQ Tank experience and our work ahead, I realize it is an example of true volunteerism – having the mindset to lean into important work, rise to the challenge, and continue advancing ourselves and our profession to make a positive impact.

Are you looking for opportunities to volunteer your time and effort to support the quality mission? NAHQ membership offers several ways you can get involved:

Engage – Pursue volunteer opportunities that will help you continue to grow
Collaborate – Stay connected and build your network to meet others dedicated to advancing healthcare quality & safety
Commit – Be a quality champion and develop a high-performance healthcare quality team

I’ll end my letter with my personal thanks to the 100+ NAHQ volunteers who generously offer their time and expertise to help NAHQ on our mission to set the industry-standard and help individuals and organizations achieve it. I know you have many other demands on your time and attention, and I, the entire Board of Directors, and everyone at NAHQ appreciate all of your hard work, dedication, and valuable contributions. You are truly a Force for Quality.

Patricia (Patty) Resnik, MJ, MBA, RRT, FACHE, CPHQ, CHC, CHPC

NAHQ President