Not Your Father's CMS

Several times I have braved the sticky DC heat to trudge up the street towards the headquarters to Health and Human Services (HHS).  Currently there is a great deal of construction in the area.  Street grit and dust assail those who arrive by the metro tunnel.  It is very bright at street level and everywhere I looked stark concrete reflected the summer sun.  I walked up the street to the Herbert H. Humphrey building that houses HHS.  It was designed in the brutalism style.  The building is a white box with a repeated series of box like windows.   The grounds surrounding the building are white granite and concrete.  There is nothing of nature, no tree, no grass: all is hard angular lines.

I walked through the doors and passed through security.  The interior of the building is a classic space with warmer friendly colors.  Here the dark wood counters and floors of polished granite welcome the weary health enthusiast. 

Beyond security is the Great Hall.  This large open space was designed for change and the seating is modular.  High above large portraits of the former secretaries of HHS loom larger than life.

I came to HHS this day because John O’Brien, Senior Advisor of the CMS Innovation Center had emailed me an invitation to attend a National Stakeholder Briefing on Health Insurance Marketplace/Exchanges.  I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the next 2 and ½ hours of what I would assume would be a lecture about the Affordable Care Act.

I should have realized that this would not be a traditional meeting when I was handed a CMS packet containing only three sheets of paper.

Let me repeat that: Three sheets of paper.  That is quite odd.

I took my seat and then began to read my packet and practically squealed in excitement!  Written under a CMS logo were words I knew very well!

“Rules

1.     Whoever is there is the right group.

2.     When it starts is when it starts.

3.     Whatever happens is all that could have happened.

4.     When it’s over, it’s over

The Law of Two Feet

If you find yourself in a situation where you are not contributing or learning, move to a place where you can.

THIS WAS AN AMAZING DAY!  CMS WAS HAVING AN UNCONFERNCE!

I could not believe my lucky stars. The facilitator began explaining this process was an open space technique and they would be using it to discuss messaging around insurance exchanges.  He then asked the crowd of two hundred if any of those in attendance had experienced this process before.  I raised my hand proudly as did about ten other audience members.

He then asked for a volunteer to pitch their idea for a session and place it on the board.  There was quiet for a few seconds and then I jumped up and went to the front to grab the microphone.

“Hi, I am Regina Holliday and I am an artist who paints about healthcare.  I spent a great deal of my life uninsured and I would love to speak about how we can use art to reach people who are uninsured and need help.”

I then grabbed a marker and created the sign for my session.  People began to stand up in the crowd and slowly come forward to propose sessions and in about ten minutes the board filled.  Then we began to rearrange the chairs in the room in order to create session space. I went over to my session space to wait for our group.  Four people showed up. I know full well the rules of an unconference: “Whoever is there is the right group.” I quite enjoyed the conversation in our small group. 

The next session I attended was about the role of the Church in helping folks understand insurance exchanges and there were about 20 people in the group.  So in case you ever wondered at CMS talking about Art is scarier than talking about GOD.

The session on religion was great and was facilitated Lisa M. Carr, Associate Director of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.   We had a wonderful group full of diverse perspectives.  Some people worked for CMS, some in advocacy and we even had a Reverend in the group.  We talked about Men’s Ministries, the importance of messaging from the Pastor and the different neighborhood groups that can be reached by one Church body.

All too soon it was time to place our chairs in a circle and report out.  A few people stood and expressed their excitement using this new method.  I spoke out too saying how happy I would be to tell patient advocates that CMS used this disruptive form. 

Before I left, I gave John a big hug and thanked him for inviting me.  HHS maybe shaped like a big brutal box, but the people who work there are thinking outside of it.