Here we are, 15 months from our world grinding to a halt in terms of personal interactions. So, it is hard to overstate how powerful it was to have our NTCA, SMC and Group Health Plan leadership meeting face-to-face as we gathered in Asheville, North Carolina, this week, right across the street from our benefits service center.
While we had to mindfully limit some of the group interactions, it was refreshing to have some serious face-to-face collaboration on the many critical fronts that NTCA covers on behalf of our rural broadband provider membership.
The NTCA Board of Directors use this June timeframe to gather and think strategically about the industry, the association and priorities ahead. Meeting separate from an NTCA meeting gives the leadership group the opportunity to really connect without distractions and delve into where the association is on the Board-designated priorities - Advocacy and Leadership, Education, Member Engagement and Operational Efficiency. We covered a lot of ground in a few days and hit a reset as we prepare for more federal initiatives on the broadband front. The Board also has spent the past few months pondering the future of the industry and approved Vision 2030 - an outline for where the industry is likely to be by the end of the decade and what building blocks need to be put in place to ensure the success and vitality for the RLEC industry. More to follow here in the days ahead.
The Group Health Trustees continue to amaze me with their good care and diligence in ensuring that our members are well taken care of and are receiving quality medical care and assistance regardless of where one lives. The impact of Covid cases on our plan were significant but the financial health of the plan showed its strength during these challenging times. What I really worry about is the care that so many Americans did not seek out this past year and the impact that might have on the health of rural Americans going forward. Mammograms, colonoscopies, and other standard care that was delayed might yield more health challenges in the future. The Trust spent millions of dollars in Covid testing and vaccinate distribution and those are resources well spent as we see our country beginning to reopen as the vaccination numbers rise.
The SMC Board also met at the Summer Business Conference and were able to not only spend time over at our service center but also engaged on some of the key metrics used as our team processes health and benefit claims on behalf of our program participants to ensure that our program continues to exceed customer expectations.
But what I relished most was the opportunity for face-to-face networking and camaraderie. No one seemed to take the time for granted and while many had stories of forgetting how to get back into the swing of travel (i.e., water bottles left in bags through TSA checkpoints, booking flights without remembering how long it takes to get through airport security, forgotten toothbrushes etc.), everyone was happy to begin meeting in person once again.
And the beautiful mountains of North Carolina as a backdrop certainly didn’t hurt either.
