Celebrating 30 Years of Integration

In 2024, CFHA reached 30 years of age. At our annual conference that year, we celebrated the legacy of integrated care with people who breathed life into integrated care and wrote it into the different possibilities we see today. As President of the Board, in addition to honoring them, I wanted to provide a broad framework to help us locate ourselves in history as we looked toward the future. Part of locating where we are in history involves bringing along the storied lives that led us to our maturity. A major part of that shared legacy comes from relationships that were built out of desire rather than necessity or professional obligation. There was a gravitational pull that gathered people into the same location year after year, even before emails, easy cell phone access, or Zoom availability. As an organization, we have also reached a point of maturity where our founders have embraced retirement, and we are less likely to see them in the years to come. The ceremony celebrates and honors each of the Luminaries – the individuals who were lit from within to guide – and reflects on the journey of our community.

Many of the Luminaries are distinguished individuals with high accomplishments and achievements. Many of them reflected on the deep and personal meaning this ritual of honoring had for them. One spoke about receiving many plaques and other memorabilia throughout their career. However, the personal nature of this ceremony from a community they helped give birth to held deep meaning for them.

When you read this, I’m not sure where you are in your journey of integrated care. Maybe you are in your first week, or maybe after years of practice, you’ve just realized there is an organization like this. Perhaps you have come here in search of our community’s history. Maybe you returned for a nostalgic look at our wonderful 2024 conference and this ceremony.

Whatever brought you here today, remember and know that you are part of a rich tapestry of kind, generous, and life-giving relationships. If you have been to even one CFHA annual conference, you know what this feels like.

So come, join, and engage with us to resist fragmentation and advocate for integrated, whole-person care.

Watch the ceremony in its fullness – the script is attached along with the PowerPoint presentation you see on screen.

– Former CFHA President, Deepu George