Hello and welcome to the debut of the Health Community!
We are excited to introduce ourselves as your inaugural co-chairs: Stephanie Moench, formerly of the Long-Term Care Section Council, and Adam Barnhart, from the Health Section Council. Our community is the result of a merger between these two legacy sections, creating a unified group dedicated to advancing actuarial practice in health and long-term care.
To ensure every member feels represented in this new home, we have already held several joint planning sessions with the Community leadership team. Our discussions have helped us refine a vision for our Community: to foster a vibrant, collaborative network that supports your professional development through high-quality education, influential research and meaningful engagement at every career stage.
Find Your Niche: Exploring Our Subgroups
While the Health Community is large with many different specialties, we want your experience to feel personal. The best way to achieve this is through our subgroups. We currently host more than 12 unique subgroups designed to let you drill down into the specific topics that impact your daily work. These groups are the heartbeat of our Community, offering opportunities for focused discussions and expert insights.
Many of these groups host interactive topic calls, some meeting as frequently as once a month, and most utilize private listservs for ongoing communication. Regardless of the cadence, these subgroups are the best way to ensure your membership feels personalized.
Signing up is easy and allows you to customize your membership to fit your professional niche. You can browse the full list and sign up for any group that piques your interest at this address: https://www.soa.org/communities/health/.
More Ways to Lead and Connect
The shift to a Community model also means more flexibility in how you get involved. You no longer need to be in an elected position to make a significant impact. We are actively looking for volunteers for nonelected roles, such as:
- Content creation: Helping to produce our high-quality articles, podcasts and webcasts
- Subgroup leadership: Facilitating topic calls or managing communications
- Research and projects: Contributing to industry-leading research
Whether you are looking for a long-term leadership role or a short-term, project-based way to contribute, there is an opportunity for you. You can find many of our open opportunities at https://engage.soa.org/volunteeropportunities/opportunities-list-public.
Additionally, you can continue to look forward to the high-caliber articles, podcasts, webcasts and meetings that have always been the staples of our community. We are committed to producing high-quality content for all our members.
Building the Future Together
The strength of the Health Community lies in the collective expertise and participation of our members. We encourage you to dive in, explore the resources available on our Community website and join a subgroup that resonates with your work and interests. We look forward to a year of growth, innovation and connection with all of you!
This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Neither the Society of Actuaries nor the respective authors’ employers make any endorsement, representation or guarantee with regard to any content, and disclaim any liability in connection with the use or misuse of any information provided herein. This article should not be construed as professional or financial advice. Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries or the respective authors’ employers.
Adam Barnhart, FSA, MAAA, is a principal and consulting actuary at Milliman. Adam can be reached at adam.barnhart@milliman.com.
Stephanie Moench, FSA, MAAA, is a principal at Oliver Wyman. Stephanie can be reached at stephanie.moench@oliverwyman.com.