As the Founder and CEO of Point-of-Care Partners (POCP), I have had the privilege of witnessing the remarkable growth and success of our organization over the past two decades. One of the key ingredients in our journey has been our annual in-person strategy/team-building meetings, now known as the Growth Summit. In this blog, I want to share my perspective on the significance of this event and how it helps us maintain our position as industry leaders.
History of the Growth Summit
For the past 18 years, we have held a company-wide, in-person strategy session to shape our path forward. Since our inception, we have experienced consistent growth, averaging 20% year over year. This achievement is a result of our ability to anticipate industry trends and continuously enhance our expertise to better serve our clients. The Growth Summit plays a critical role in ensuring we practice what we preach, driving our own growth while providing valuable insights to our clients.
Destination: Philadelphia
This year, we decided to hold the Growth Summit in Philadelphia. We selected this location for its central position, making it easily accessible for our team members. Additionally, having several of us residing in the area simplified the logistics and created a sense of familiarity. While the majority of our time was dedicated to work, we also took the opportunity to unwind and foster team cohesion through a fun-filled evening of bowling. Building strong connections among our team members is integral to our organizational culture.
The Focus of the Growth Summit
Before the in-person meeting, each of our business units, including Life Sciences, Payer, Provider & Technology, and the Regulatory Resource Center, presents virtually to the entire company. These presentations offer insights into the current state of our business and highlight upcoming trends that may impact us, such as workflow changes, emerging technologies, and policy activities. To prepare for the Summit, we assign pre-reading materials, often industry articles and Circle Square's Digital Health Trends.
During the Growth Summit, we engage in breakout sessions to delve deeper into the industry landscape, identify growth opportunities, and expand our knowledge. We explore important questions, such as: What trends are mere fads and what is genuinely transformative? What areas are likely to become more complex? Which topics deserve heightened focus? How can we enhance our expertise in these areas? This year, our breakout sessions covered various subjects, including Artificial Intelligence, Health Equity, Emerging Therapies, Payer/Provider Integrations, and POCP Operations.
Voices from Within: Value of the Growth Summit
As the Founder and CEO, I am incredibly proud of the value our team members, affectionately known as POCPers, find in the Growth Summit. Let me share a few quotes that capture their sentiments:
"The Growth Summit fosters collaboration, ignites ideas, and challenges us to think beyond conventional boundaries. It invigorates and inspires us."
"Attending the Growth Summit reinforces our commitment to staying at the forefront of the industry."
"As a recent addition to the team, the Growth Summit has been instrumental in immersing me in our organizational culture and strengthening professional relationships."
My Reflections as Founder and CEO
After two decades of leading POCP, I have learned invaluable lessons that I would like to share:
- People are our most valuable asset: Our team members are the driving force behind our success. Recognizing their expertise and fostering a collaborative environment is paramount to our growth.
- In-person collaboration is special: While virtual connectivity has its merits and is how we operate day to day as a distributed organization, the Growth Summit provides an exceptional opportunity for team members to bond
- Curiosity and constant drive to learn is at our heart: We must constantly mature, evolve and deepen our views of topics impacting the industry and understand how we might be able to help through collaborating with our clients and with each other
- Culture is our soul: As an organization we care for each other and have a deep appreciation and gratitude for how fortunate we are to work with like-minded individuals that share our passion for making a difference.
Investing in the Growth Summit each year is well worth it because it stokes the flames of ideas, helps us connect, brings new employees deeper into the fold and helps us serve our clients better. I’m still excited and motivating coming out of last week’s wonderful event and look forward to prioritizing and putting into action the great ideas we discussed.
If you want to discuss how your organization can better leverage your internal resources and brain trust, reach out to me at tonys@pocp.com. We have worked with clients on internal education programs as well as helping break down internal silos to operate more efficiently and get the most out of interoperability investments through transforming business processes.
