Why the Best Thing at e-Health26 Wasn’t Digital
By Justin Hartlen, CEO, Virtual Hallway
This was my first year at e-Health, and I loved the paradox of it.
At Virtual Hallway, we spend our days building tools so clinicians don’t have to be in the same room to help each other. That’s the whole premise of the company. The unlock is only possible because of where digital health has come. Seeing you all in Halifax was a reminder that there’s an equally real unlock on the other side of it: the one that only happens when you’re standing in the same room.
One of the reasons it was such a great event is because many of the people stopping by our booth were people I’d only ever met virtually, or hadn’t seen in person for too long. All the right people too (thanks to those who said hello!). Another reason was the high spirits, then how well it was all organized. It came together as exactly what you want out of a national conference: energetic without being exhausting.
At e-Health26, Justin Hartlen and Virtual Hallway were recognized with the Digital Health Canada Team Award in Clinical and Care Delivery Transformation for the Virtual Hallway: Supporting Synchronous Provider-to-Provider Virtual Consultation initiative
Walking the exhibitor hall was the same experience from a different angle. Every player in Canadian digital health was there, in one hall, at the same time. Whether you were doing competitive recon, scouting collaborators, or just curious what the rest of the market is building, it was all on the floor, in person, for the price of a walk. And whatever you needed to sharpen up on, the session halls had it covered. Kudos to those who stepped up and delivered.
For a growing company, that’s the value of a conference like this. You can follow the industry online for a year and still learn more in two days of walking a hall than you would scrolling. The relationships that get built or rebuilt in that room don’t fully translate digitally, no matter how few clicks it takes.
It was a productive week for us. It was also, genuinely, a fun one. Already looking forward to Vancouver next year.
