Meeting Our Budgetary Goals While Serving Our Members

Writing this article as the Budget Officer of the Section, it would be easy to fall into the trap of having a negative financial outlook for the 2019-2020 bar year. Sure, we had a volatile year-end stock-market sell-off, slowing sectors in the economy, repeated Federal Reserve interest rate increases, and we have all witnessed a near-unprecedented hostile political climate. But, that would be shortsighted. There are positives. The U.S. economy appears strong, operating at near full employment with unemployment rates at a 49-year low. This coming year we will learn whether the Tax Cuts and Job Act was truly as billed – a stimulus for productivity-enhancing capital investment. It is time to block out the noise, and use these uncertain times as an opportunity to rise to the challenge and continue to grow.    

I view this as a great occasion for members, volunteer leaders, and staff of the Health Law Section to work cooperatively and creatively to continue to meet our goals and fulfill our missions: serve our engaged and diverse membership; educate and inform; impact policy, legislation and regulation; serve the public; promote diverse, effective leadership; and support professional excellence. All with integrity and collegiality (and maybe some fun hijinks every once in a while).    

As we head into the mid-year mark, the Section’s Finance Committee will begin our strategic budgeting process. We are calling on the wisdom of the Past Chair’s Advisory Committee and Section staff to strike the right balance of both meeting our budgetary goals while serving our members. We must continue to provide value, despite budgetary constraints. The Health Law Section is, and will remain, the go-to resource for education and networking in our complex industry. I am confident that we will find the appropriate balance, and look forward to this process and continuing to provide invaluable content, learning, and professional networking experiences to our members.    

The upcoming 20^th Annual Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law Conference is being held at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando on March 13-16. EMI has always been a premier gathering of thought leaders in healthcare law and policy. Similar to staying ahead of financial trends for tracking and forecasting the Section’s budget, the conference covers healthcare industry changes and presents an opportunity for members to stay ahead of those trends.  It is also a reminder of why I continue to love being involved in the Section -- spending time with new and old friends.  The relationships that develop through the Section are invaluable. Don’t miss out on these experiences. I hope to see you at EMI!