By: Bhriana Onuoha, Senior Coordinator, Communications

Did you know that a benefit of being a National Health Council (NHC) member is the opportunity to join an Affinity Group? These Affinity Groups bring together staff from NHC member organizations to discuss cross-cutting issues common to their area of work. Furthermore, these conversations inform the development of additional NHC programming.

Here is a look at the various NHC Affinity Groups:

Chief Executive Officers
Setting an organization’s tone and direction, mobilizing an organization through its leaders, engaging Board members, and connecting with stakeholders is a gargantuan task. Not to mention, after the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofit leaders and health-related organizations are continuing to learn new ways to operate. Gather with executive leadership from NHC member organizations to discuss emerging trends and challenges facing NHC member organizations and their leadership.

Chief Financial Officers
Fiscal health is important in any successful organization. Gather with like-minded individuals to share information and best approaches in the finance area of other NHC members, while sharing best practices and discussing common concerns, such as policy and regulatory issues, that impact income development.

Chief Scientific/Medical/Research Officers
Improving the quality and effectiveness of care is a key goal in health care research. Members in this group will gather with leaders from patient groups, nonprofit organizations, and industry leaders to discuss best practices and experiences. This group also gathers for the NHC’s marquee event: the Science of Patient Engagement Symposium.

Communications Professionals
Effective communication is essential for managing relationships with stakeholders, conveying clear messaging, and drives every organization forward. In this ever-evolving digital world, communication professionals are forced to learn new ways to increase and maintain audience engagement. Join communications professionals from NHC member organizations in sharing best practices and collaboration on issues of importance.

Health Equity Affinity Group
The NHC recognizes the health equity landscape and its impact on NHC member organizations across the country. Three times a year, you will gather with NHC patient groups, nonprofit, and association members to share information, expertise, and strategic thinking on health equity issues important to the patient community. These meetings are designed to prioritize health equity issues important to the patient community while determining actionable next steps.

Meeting & Event Professionals
The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the world of events. The continued growing popularity of virtual and hybrid events makes the traditional approach to event planning almost obsolete. This group focuses on sourcing best practices and sharing experiences in the event planning space and execution by fostering the cross-pollination of ideas.

If you are interested in joining any of these Affinity Groups, please contact membership@nhcouncil.org.