Southern Hospitality - North Carolina Style

Thanks to the generosity of Bob Harvey and TRS for dinner tonight. It was an evening filled with lively discussion and debate concerning the future of clinical documentation and how the AHDI and MTIA partnership can work on advancing a relevant platform to optimize healthcare delivery through timely, accurate, and useable health information. That may sound pretty boring for a Friday night conversation, out on the town in Greensboro. NC, but the conversation had a distinctive flair - the Southern twang. Everything sounds good with a twang. It's almost like singing or playing the banjo.

When you say something with a twang, others seem to smile and shake their heads in agreement. Just like what happened during dinner tonight - the tone at the table appeared to be very agreeable. I'm wondering if it has to do with the twang or more to do with the context in which the words are said. The Southern hospitality way is to couch things in pleasantries, making you feel at home, respected. We talked about some fairly contentious issues confronting the sector, yet it was done with appreciation and regard for others' perspectives. Tonight was a pleasant reminder of how to get your point across without pointing fingers. Thanks for that wonderful lesson.