Ten years ago, when I was President of the National Rural Health Association, I was invited to Park City, Utah to represent rural health interests at the 2nd Annual Health Sector Assembly. This was a group of about fifty leaders in healthcare to serve as a "think tank" for health policy on a very high level to advise the US Congress and adminstration.
We spent two and 1/2 very intense days together, mostly in small groups, writing a policy paper. Each year since, there has been a core group of 25 of so with another 25-30 new people (usually experts on that year's topic) invited back. The altitude at Park City proved a bit much for some of the attendees, so it was moved to Sundance.
On Saturday afternoon, while the group leaders pull the input from all the small groups together, everyone else gets to go horseback riding, make jewelry, pottery, hike, etc.
After the 3rd or 4th year, they also started paying for spouses and significant others to come as well, so it's now a pretty big group.
4 or 5 years ago when AHA (American Hospital Association) was short-staffed, I was asked to facilitate one of the small groups, which I've done ever since.
I don't get any cash, but I get treated very well --massages, air fare, pedicures, etc. I tried to quit when I retired, but wasn't allowed to...
Last year I asked if we could come up a day early since I end up helping to write the final on Saturday afternoon when everyone else is playing. So that's the Sundance story!
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