Last month we had the opportunity as a sponsor to attend the IPMI Healthcare Law & Compliance Institute held at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena. It is an event that includes over 75 healthcare General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers.
The presentations on such topics such as recent antitrust enforcement activity in healthcare, the federal No Surprises Act, and ethical decision-making in healthcare leadership were a great way to stay current on the latest legal trends in healthcare. What was even more impactful, however, was the opportunity to spend time in person with friends and clients, both old and new.
The past 3+ years have taught us that you don’t always have to be in person. But we have also come to realize that sometimes you do, especially if you want to nurture old relationships and build new ones. There is no substitute for direct eye contact, handshakes, and hugs in building human relationships!
I have adjusted to Zoom as much as anyone– I do not expect to ever have a long commute again. We are able to serve clients across the country without having to leave our desks. As a father of four, including two still at home, there is no substitute for ending a call and immediately being physically present to my family.
But there are also many things I miss about being in an office with my colleagues. And, yes, there are even some things I miss about commuting, such as having transition time to align mental presence with physical presence when walking through the front door.
So, while I expect most of my day-to-day work to continue to be in front of a computer and camera, my recent experience in Pasadena will also motivate me to seek out the right opportunities to engage meaningfully in person. I hope our paths cross again (literally) in the future!