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Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services, a company comprised of locally managed facilities that includes about 162 hospitals and 112 freestanding surgery centers in 20 states and England and employing approximately 205,500 people. Employees play a critical role in helping HCA deliver high-quality care to its patients around the globe. To help employees and their immediate families who are experiencing financial hardships, the 
Upcoming dialogue on “Service as a Solution”
By Susan Thomas, Associate Director, Marketing & Communications, Boston College Center
Join us October 10-12, 2010, for an important dialogue on “Service as a Solution.”
As a Premier Partner to IBM’s upcoming Service Jam, the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship is pleased to extend an invitation to participate in this exciting event.
IBM’s Service Jam will bring together nonprofit organizations, corporations, academic institutions, government agencies and individuals from over 70 countries to engage in an important dialogue around “Service as a Solution.” Through IBM’s Jam technology, participants will collaborate virtually to generate breakthrough ideas that will redefine service and social innovation for the future.
Why participate?
Service Jam is a unique opportunity for you to connect with prominent leaders and network with other volunteers in the social sector. This virtual event provides a platform for you to share your experiences in community service, voice opinions and gather new ideas and techniques for your organization and volunteer programs. This is your chance to take an active role in helping to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges.
Register Now to reserve your ‘virtual’ seat! Participation is free. Space is limited and is ‘first come – first serve’. https://www.collaborationjam.com/minijam3/service/registration/
Once you’ve registered, you can participate from anywhere around the world at any time most convenient to you during Oct 10-12. Visit www.ibm.com/servicejam for more information about Service Jam and further Host updates!
During the Jam, registered participants will have the rare opportunity to converse with distinguished global leaders. Below are the Service Jam featured Guests and Hosts!
FEATURING SPECIAL GUESTS:
George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the U.S.
Ray Chambers, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria
Harris Wofford, Senator Pennsylvania
Michael Nutter, Mayor City of Philadelphia
Jean Case, CEO,The Case Foundation
Sam Palmisano, President and CEO, IBM
DISCUSSION FORUMS & HOSTS:
Quantum Leaps in Service
Helene Gayle, President & CEO, CARE USA
John Bridgeland, President & CEO, Civic Enterprises,
Stan Litow, VP, Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs, IBM
Steve Gunderson, President & CEO, Council on Foundations
The Digital Revolution in Service
Michael Brown, CEO & Co-Founder, City Year
Empowering the Individual
Gloria Rubio-Cortes, President, National Civic League
Michelle Nunn, CEO, Points of Light & Co-Founder, HandsOn Network
Increasing Value & Impact of Service
Deirdre White, President & CEO, CDC Development Solutions
Diana Aviv, President & CEO, Independent Sector
Scaling Impact
Alan Khazei, CEO & Founder, Be The Change
Measuring Social Impact
Marcia Ito, M.D., PhD, State Technology Education Center Paula Souza, Brazil
Patrick Corvington, CEO, Corporation for National & Community Service
Progress through Collaboration
Jane Jamieson, Vice President, Digital Opportunity Trust, Turkey
Sidney E. Goodfriend, Chairman and Founder, American Corporate Partners
Global Challenges, Local Action
Ariel Kestens, Head of Support Services, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Chile
Jim Anderson, Cities of Service
If for any reason you are unable to register directly, please request an invite to Service Jam at http://www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility/minijam/registration.html.
Great piece, Susan. I’m glad you are bringing this event to our attention. I have had the privilege of helping IBM with the Service Jam, am extremely excited about it and expect great results from it. In my view, it might create history. If you will indulge me, I’ll explain.
One of the most rewarding parts of my job is participating in discussions that take place the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship courses that I teach. The provocative questions, innovative practices and thoughtful suggestions put promising ideas in my head and a huge bounce in my step. I am not alone. Participants consistently tell us that peer dialogue is immensely valuable. Talking to others helps set new directions, solve old problems, find effective partners and broaden horizons. In summary, this dialogue changes our corporate citizenship for the better.
What would happen if, instead of 30, we had thousands of people in the room? And what if these included U.S. presidents (no, I don’t get many of them in my courses!), members of the German Bundestag (parliament) and dozens of other luminaries and bright minds from across the globe? How many promising ideas would we leave with? How big would the bounce in our steps be? What persistent corporate citizenship challenge might we solve? It’s almost too good to imagine. But, as you know, this is not a fantasy. At least not on October 10-12.
If you think I am over-selling the benefits of the Service Jam, remember that gatherings have changed history. Time and time again. We wouldn’t have democracy had the ancient Greeks not gathered in their agoras to discuss how to improve the human lot; children might still be dying from smallpox had a few dozen individuals not gathered at the World Health Assembly in 1966; and our businesses might still be managed with exploitative and unproductive management methods had a group of Japanese businesses not hosted a meeting in 1947. And none of these groups had the benefit of IBM’s Jam technology! If we fully engage in this event, might we not create a new concept, practice, tool or level of commitment that catapults us to unimagined success in solving the world’s most stubborn problems?
Thanks, Bea, I think it’s going to be a great event. For those who don’t know, Bea is a Center faculty member who teaches our upcoming course on partnerships.