Looking Back - Appreciative, Amazed, and Still a Little Scared
I was so excited to speak at the Hall Render Conference for Healthcare Executives in Orlando. They were nice enough, as the hosting organization, to allow me to speak to their healthcare clients regarding the importance of philanthropy and its future. There wasn’t a chief development officer or fundraiser in the room. These were all chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief operating officers, and other healthcare leaders. It’s what I had dreamed of over the past decade regarding additional thought-provoking conversations with leaders in healthcare about the importance of philanthropy.
The presentation before mine was put on hold and an announcement was made that a special speaker was being brought in to discuss potential risks as it pertains to healthcare issues happening overseas.
The date was Saturday, February 28, 2020
I listened to a pandemic expert talk about what was happening with COVID-19 and the Far East. While I had heard of the term “pandemic” I really did not understand its significance. As I look back, I’m not sure how I actually did my presentation based on what I heard---probably just being too “dialed in” on what I needed to do in my remarks. But as I think back, most of the executives in the room had as little comprehensive understanding as I did. My presentation was pretty good with a lot of interaction and questions from CEOs. I now realize it would have no effect based on what happened within the next couple of weeks.
After the presentation, I began to reflect more on the pandemic expert and less on my remarks. What if his dire predictions came to fruition? Is that possible? As I left the conference shortly thereafter and drove to the airport after my remarks, I called my wife, told her I was on my way. Then I shared what the pandemic expert said….she too was taken aback. She then wondered out loud if “we” should be worried. We talked ourselves, in that 50-minute drive to the airport, into believing that we were not ready for what might happen.
I told her to go to Costco and stock up on basic necessities. Go ahead and get that extra thing of toilet paper, cleaning supplies, food, whatever. We would store it. We heard the concern in each other’s voices. During my flights home, she took the kids to Costco to stock up. On that Monday morning, I began to divest some stocks causing my broker to call me and asked me what I was doing. I told him we were moving more into cash because of the pandemic. He asked me what I was talking about….he was sure I was crazy.
I look back and marvel. The first amazing thing is that I happened to be sitting in a room and heard an expert on pandemics talk about what was coming. Totally random occurrence. Wow. I don’t remember the details of his content, but I have thought many times about some of the general concepts he discussed and how he was absolutely on point on all of it.
While I also marvel at how unprepared all societies were, these hospital and medical executives were not ready for the healthcare crisis of the last 100 years—neither were most others who weren’t in Orlando that week. The leaders that we turn to in healthcare crisis, as we’ve learned, who is intent is/was great, weren’t ready for what came. None of us were.
Additionally, I am amazed at the resiliency of people. There have been enormous changes to our lives and culture. Changes that will reverberate for decades to come. And while there are legitimate and concerning negative effects to people, overall, humans have adjusted. It has not been easy or fair to everyone. And some of the changes have been dealt with through immense pain and unthinkable loss of loved ones, we have evolved and survived.
Two years removed from that shocking day, and the more than 700 days since, has taught us all a lot. But it’s left large questions for me. Are we ready for the next pandemic? Or that next big challenge? Whatever that may be. My wife and I have made decisions to help us to be prepared individually. Well, maybe as prepared as we can be. But what about culturally and across our communities… Are we all prepared? That answer could be and probably is a little scarier.
