by Christopher Allman, ASHRM President
It’s finally here! September! The month has arrived for the 2025 ASHRM Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina! Many of us wait for this opportunity to gather together all year for a fantastic learning and networking opportunity! If you haven’t already, check out the Annual Conference agenda on the ASHRM website and register while there is still time!
One of the speakers I am looking forward to most is our opening keynote speaker, Julia Landauer, a NASCAR driver and two-time champion. Now, I have to be honest here, I am not a NASCAR fan. However, I admire the skill, teamwork and perseverance it takes to achieve being an elite athlete in the sport. Moreover, I am looking forward to Julia’s message of embracing challenges and overcoming fears to reach your goals.
Being in Charlotte and having a NASCAR driver as a keynote speaker at our conference also has made me reflect on the similarities between what we do as risk professionals, and what racing teams do. For instance, we both work in high-stakes environments. In racing, every split-second decision can mean either victory, or fiery disaster. In health care, every clinical or operational decision we make can affect patient safety or organizational survival. In risk, we help to mitigate the effects of those decisions, or, better yet, work to proactively strategize for a stronger organization.
Both racing teams and risk professionals work in highly regulated environments, too. For instance, in NASCAR, strict rules govern car design, pit stops, and driver conduct. Breaking the rules leads to penalties and suspensions. In health care, risk professionals deal with HIPAA, OSHA, CMS, Joint Commission, and state laws, where, of course, noncompliance leads to fines, loss of accreditation or even Immediate Jeopardy.
Both racing teams and risk professionals have to balance speed and safety. In racing, the fastest car wins — but recklessness causes crashes. In health care, hospitals strive for efficiency and innovation — but rushing care or skipping safeguards creates patient harm or regulatory scrutiny.
Another similarity between racecar teams and health care risk management that I see is team coordination. In racing, success depends on drivers, pit crews, spotters, and strategists all working in sync. In health care risk management, risk professionals collaborate with clinicians, administrators, information technology, compliance staff and numerous others to identify, strategize and mitigate risks.
Both racing and health care risk management require constant monitoring. In racing, crews monitor tire wear, fuel levels, weather, and car performance in real-time. In risk, we track incident reports, safety metrics, infection rates, and constant regulatory changes. We each prepare for crises in our own ways, too. In racing, drivers practice crash drills, and teams plan for mechanical failures or accidents. In health care, risk professionals prepare for medical errors, data breaches, disasters, and lawsuits with contingency plans. Or, better yet, risk professionals take part in the strategic planning for their organization, so the errors don’t occur at all.
Finally, both racing teams and risk professionals learn from mistakes. In racing, every wreck is analyzed to prevent it from happening again. In health care, root cause analyses and risk assessments, and even lawsuits turn adverse events into lessons to strengthen systems and prevent errors from occurring.
So, the next time you/re asked “what does a risk manager do?” – just say, “it’s a like being a racecar driver… only more exciting!” Which brings us back to the 2025 ASHRM Annual Conference and the exciting education, offerings and events waiting for you in Charlotte, North Carolina, September 28-30th. It sounds like the NASCAR capital of the world is an appropriate place for a health care risk management conference, doesn’t it?!
If you can’t attend our in-person Annual Conference in Charlotte, be sure to register for the 2025 Virtual Conference, taking place November 5-7, 2025, and available on demand through December 8, 2025. The Virtual Conference has all of the keynote talks and many of the great concurrent sessions from the live conference, all in the comfort of your office or home. Plus, you can earn up to 22.5 CEUs, to boot!
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you in person in Charlotte in just a few weeks!