Like many of you, I spent much of October staying up past my bedtime, bingeing on ice cream, and shouting at the TV—all while watching the Washington Nationals in inning after inning of nail-biting baseball. Fortunately, the elevated stress paid off. And, even if they hadn’t won the final game, it would’ve been worth it.

My excitement and sense of pride in their World Series championship are particularly sweet after a dismal start to the season. How did they do it? There are many thoughts and theories out there.

To me, this victory is rooted in positive culture and collaboration combined with a can-do attitude. All attributes I see in you, your teams and your hospitals.

When Bryce Harper left the Nationals in March—chasing the largest paycheck in MLB history—it looked bad for the team. What did they do? They leveraged the talent and depth of their other players; they used the savings to fix weak spots; and, they all came together to play to their distinct strengths.

Like the Nats, the Maryland hospital field is proof that the collective is far more powerful than the individual. I’m reminded again and again that all our players contribute in their own ways and, importantly, lift the team to produce peak performance.

Our collective strength is what garners our bigger wins for our field and the people we serve.

This is particularly crucial both as we move into the new legislative session and as we must further prove the effectiveness of the Maryland model. The value of our united efforts is tremendous. When we stick together, we’re unstoppable.