A Message From SHM CEO Dr. Eric Howell on SHM Converge 2023

SHM Community,

We have received some feedback and requests to move SHM Converge 2023 out of Texas.

When making complex decisions like this, I use my core values to guide me:

• Make the world a better place.
• Invest in people.
• Be ethical and transparent.

On the whole, moving Converge out of Texas would accomplish none of my core values.

Annual meetings take years of planning; to not hold Converge in Texas effectively means canceling Converge for 2023. Less than a year is not enough time to find a new location and coordinate Converge in a new venue. Canceling Converge would have minimal impact on state governments but would cause harm to the working people of Austin, Texas, who depend on organizations like SHM for their livelihood. Austin has a diverse citizenship, and punishing them all for a state legislative decision would do more harm than good in my view and not help make the world a better place.

By uniting at Converge, our hospitalist community can make the world a better place. And we can start right in Texas, where we plan to host an on-site event to raise funds for a Texas-based organization that is actively working to address the healthcare-related ramifications of the State’s actions. We look forward to sharing more information with you when it is finalized. We are committed to facilitating meaningful action.

If we canceled Converge, thousands of hospitalists would miss the opportunity to access the education and networking that they need to be the best and most informed physicians and clinicians. Canceling Converge would not fulfill my core value to invest in people.

Lastly, I want to be transparent about the finances, since some may think this is the driving motive to stay in Texas. While there would be financial implications for moving out of Austin, they are not as significant as you might think. The vast majority of SHM’s operating income comes from membership dues. Converge is primarily about fulfilling SHM’s education and networking mission; the money is secondary.

I realize SHM’s decision will not please everyone, but we wanted you to know that we have tried to navigate this decision by deliberately using the 3 core values stated.

Sincerely,

Eric