crupp posted on January 06, 2021 17:08
Happy New Year! I am so happy to officially welcome 2021! 
SSH has so many good things on the docket for 2021, including an expectation — and not just hope – that we will see our logistics and operations begin a gradual return to normal as we work through the calendar year.
I can’t tell you how great it feels to say that!
I’m also encouraged by several key indicators with regard to SSH, IMSH Delivers(which begins Jan. 19 — register now!), and a couple of other data points I would like to share that I believe illustrates just how strong our foundation is heading into the new year.
IMSH Delivers registration
I won’t be shy about this: In light of the pandemic and its effects on SSH membership and the healthcare simulation industry in terms of available time, energy, and budgets, we weren’t sure what to expect with regard to attendance.
I’m very pleased to report that current trends show expected attendance figures will be among the strongest we’ve seen, if not tops, among healthcare simulation conferences. This is such a testament to your belief in SSH, its events, and the quality of education and networking experience. Thank you!
We know it won’t be the same as an in-person IMSH. However, we have gone to great lengths to make sure your experience as an attendee delivers to the best of our ability with each of the more than 250+ prerecorded and live sessions scheduled for IMSH Delivers!
Continued community growth
Outside of IMSH, SSH saw the formation of its COVID-19 Community on SimConnect. All members were initially added to the community, and anyone could join with just an SSH account. We were told many times how thankful people were to already have a network in place to turn to for peer-to-peer conversations, assistance, and support.
I’m also proud to report SSH provided 73 free webinars since last April, with more than 8,300 individual registrations for those. I won’t tell you the math behind how many Zoom hours for SSH staff went into the logistics to make that happen, but rest assured, Zoom fatigue is a proven thing!
In addition to those items, we also continued to pump out big-ticket items such as a well-attended SimOps Delivers, world-celebrated Healthcare Simulation Week, the current SimSational Savings Event, and crucial Online Certification Blueprint Review Cohorts, Accreditation Prep Cohorts, Live Certification Courses and remote proctoring, and a new Virtual Learning Lab Series.
And, we did it all while largely maintaining our membership numbers — a huge accomplishment when you read what other associations went through and continue to go through right now.
I am so thankful.
I’m thankful for our members. I’m thankful for our Board and its willingness to be flexible yet make tough decisions when times called for them. I’m thankful for our industry partners who have, despite their own challenges in managing businesses in this climate, continue to place their trust and vital resources in support of SSH events and initiatives.
And, we all should be thankful for our amazing SSH staff. In so many ways, SSH is looked at as the leader in our industry. We’re appreciative of that, and we respect the responsibility that comes with it, but it should be noted that we have a total staff of 16 individuals who do so much for you and me. They dedicate all of their time and talents to making SSH go.
And having them on my (and your) team are a major reason why I’m so incredibly excited to run straight into 2021 and see just how much our amazing organization, including you, our members, can accomplish.
Here’s to a great year! ~ Jennifer L. Manos, MBA, MSN, RN