Annual_Report_2016_letter_071216

2 Letter to Members

Letter to MembersLeadership comes in many forms, but what unites every leader is

purpose—a strong and clear answer to the question: Why do we do

this work? Healthcare leaders choose their profession because they

care deeply about making a difference and improving health. It is

their calling.

Leaders who care know that their work is about more than the

business of healthcare. They believe in a healthcare system that is

rooted in equity and ensures access to high-quality, affordable care

for all communities. They are committed to common goals grounded

in healthcare management excellence and supported by lifelong

learning, strong partnerships and active engagement. They are raising

the bar for excellence every day with their pursuit of knowledge,

insight and tools.

At a time when strong leadership has never been more important to

the healthcare profession, ACHE is proud to be your professional

home and to enable the work that keeps your communities healthy

and strong.

Following are highlights of the programs and initiatives ACHE has

undertaken in support of your commitment to delivering high-quality,

highly reliable care and service. They re� ect the three objectives of

our Strategic Plan: Preserve and Enhance, Extend and Adapt, and

Innovate and Educate.

3Letter to Members

Preserve and EnhanceACHE continues to preserve and enhance our core o� er-ings to remain your trusted partner for healthcare lead-ership growth. No matter where you are in your career, ACHE gives you the tools and insight you need to best serve the healthcare � eld. As changes in the healthcare � eld continue to unfold, ACHE delivers the core o� erings and value that support your mission of serving others.

Our community is growing—nearly 4 percent last year, a rarity among associations. We are now more than 40,000 strong. � is is exciting and speaks to the value ACHE provides as a key resource for those who strive to achieve healthcare management excellence.

Much of our success is built on the personal connections members like you provide—most notably, through our Leader-to-Leader Program. In 2015, more than 2,100 sponsors recruited or encouraged the advancement of more than 2,500 new members and Fellows. It is remark-able that so many of our members are able to � nd the time to help new leaders, given the pressures of the work you do.

A number of you also are giving back through your par-ticipation in the Leadership Mentoring Network, which is dedicated to expanding learning and development opportunities for executives. A record number of mento-ring relationships have been established through this pro-gram, with 105 partnerships to date.

You are our strongest advocates, and we want you to know how much we value your support. With your assistance, ACHE has become the largest senior leadership commu-nity of healthcare leaders in the country. � ank you for your e� orts.

ACHE continues to support members’ need for premier professional development programs, groundbreaking research and innovative tools that help them excel in their careers. Last year, ACHE facilitated nearly 80,000 hours of Face-to-Face Education at the national level, providing numerous opportunities for our members to learn and network with key thought leaders in the � eld and their peers. Our expert faculty taught 150 educational programs, both in person and via distance learning.

Additionally, our 59th Congress on Healthcare Leadership, held March 14–17 in Chicago, offered more than 150 educational sessions and brought together more than 4,000 healthcare leaders and nearly 600 students in their pursuit of healthcare management excellence.

We’ve expanded the breadth of our o� erings to address topics our members and industry experts have identi� ed as most critical, including seminars around change man-agement, adaptive leadership, data analytics, population health and value-based care. ACHE also recognizes the need for organizations to schedule high-quality profes-sional development seminars at times and locations that are most convenient to them. � at’s why we have devel-oped On-Location Programs, a full roster of seminars that can be customized according to an organization’s needs. � ese programs, which are taught by expert faculty, reduce training expenses for healthcare organizations by eliminating travel costs and minimizing participants’ time away from the o� ce.

Nationally and locally, ACHE continues to build upon a long tradition of supporting healthcare leaders on their leadership journeys. No matter where you are in your career, ACHE is dedicated to ensuring you have the tools necessary to remain at the forefront of your profession.

Your membership in ACHE provides numerous opportunities

to connect with colleagues from around the nation and

internationally such as during this speed networking session

at ACHE’s Congress on Healthcare Leadership.

4 Letter to Members

an online career resource launched last year—is playing an important role in career development. Since its launch, more than 1,400 accounts have been created. � is year, we will expand on these e� orts even more by working with chapters and piloting a version of CareerEDGE for students. ACHE also introduced an online interviewing tool known as InterviewEDGE, a resource that already has been well received by members.

� e research ACHE undertakes each year is instrumental to our ongoing ability to share key learnings in the health-care � eld with you and other healthcare leaders. Annually, we report our � ndings on the top issues confronting hos-pital CEOs, the rate of CEO turnover, competencies required of healthcare leades in an era of reform, women in leadership, gender/ethnicity studies and more.

Our book publishing division, Health Administration Press, remains a renowned publisher in the industry, with 17 new titles on topics vital to your success published last year alone. � ese titles include textbooks and releases by healthcare experts and leading practitioners. ACHE also fosters the sharing of timely, relevant information through Healthcare Executive magazine, which members continue to rate as “most useful to your job” in comparison with other national healthcare publications, as well as our two journals, Journal of Healthcare Management and Frontiers of Health Services Management.

ACHE also is working to enhance the value of the FACHE® credential as a tool for positioning healthcare teams and organizations to meet the top challenges of the industry. Becoming board certi� ed in healthcare mange-ment as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives demonstrates a leader’s professionalism, com-petence, leadership skills, commitment to lifelong learn-ing, and service to the � eld and community. Nearly 10,000 members have earned the FACHE credential, and more than 42 top executive search � rms look for it as a component of their candidate evaluation process—per-petuating the reputation that the credential is the gold standard for healthcare management professionals.

It begins with helping students become grounded in our profession. To that end, we are fortunate that 240 health-care administration programs participate in the Higher Education Network. We appreciate our members’ out-reach to students as we help them understand the chal-lenges of a career in healthcare management and the resources that are available to them as they embark on their leadership journey.

And while many healthcare executives pride themselves on their planning skills, many do not have a career plan them-selves. One of our newest innovations, CareerEDGE®—

Leaders who care choose the healthcare profession because

they strive to make a difference and improve health. ACHE

partners with members and other organizations to raise the

bar for excellence in healthcare and healthcare

management.

5Letter to Members

To ensure the continued value and credibility of the FACHE credential, ACHE’s Board of Governors formed a task force to review the requirements for certi� cation and recerti� cation and evaluate the strengths and oppor-tunities of the credentialing program. � is task force is led by Edward H. Lamb, FACHE, ACHE 2016–2017 Chairman and division president, western division, IASIS Healthcare, South Jordan, Utah.

� e strength of our community is perhaps best re� ected through the work of ACHE’s 79 chapters. In 2015 alone, chapters delivered more than 1,200 education and net-working events and delivered more than 270,000 attendee hours to more than 80,000 attendees.

� e quality of leadership and service demonstrated by chapter leaders speaks highly of their dedication to mem-bers. In 2015, ACHE bestowed one Award for Chapter Excellence, eight Awards of Chapter Distinction, 29 Awards of Chapter Merit and 10 Awards for Sustained Performance to deserving chapters.

Chapters regularly give back to their local communities through service opportunities. � ese events not only pro-vide ACHE members the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of residents in their region while network-ing in a unique setting, but also ful� ll service require-ments for advancing to Fellow status.

Our volunteers are the lifeblood of ACHE. To those of you who donate your time in service to our members, our organization and our profession, we o� er our sincere grat-itude. Your e� orts make a di� erence at the national and local levels and in the communities you serve.

Extend and AdaptAs healthcare evolves, so must we as leaders and as a professional society. Core o� erings will always remain a key component of our mission, but by adapting our o� er-ings for today’s healthcare leaders, ACHE is keeping pace with your evolving leadership needs in the changing healthcare landscape.

ACHE extends its reach by bringing professionals from across the continuum of care into the fold of our com-munity so the profession bene� ts from shared dialogue, learning and collaboration. Today, nearly 2,000 physi-cians are members of ACHE, and 5,400 members are nurses. We know that the toughest challenges in health-care require both clinical and administrative expertise. Our ability to leverage these individual and collective perspectives strengthens members’ ability to deliver highly coordinated care for patients in a value-driven environment.

For example, ACHE is expanding its clinical leadership development opportunities and curriculum and is seeing signi� cant membership growth in this and nearly every targeted segment. As more physicians and nurses enter the C-suite as strategic decision makers and change lead-ers, ACHE continues to build upon the volume and breadth of our educational programming to provide seminars on topics designed to drive peak clinical lead-ership performance. � ese include programs on topics such as negotiation techniques, power and in� uence in healthcare organizations, and the art of building suc-cessful teams and partnerships.

Our 2016 Thomas C. Dolan Diversity Address and Breakfast

focused on advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.

6 Letter to Members

education and engagement) and other key measures among HLA member organizations, which include the American Association for Physician Leadership, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, Healthcare Financial Management Association, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and the Medical Group Management Association. ACHE actively seeks opportunities for HLA organizations to collectively support initiatives that further healthcare management excellence, such as the International Hospital Federation’s 39th World Hospital Congress, held Oct. 6–8, 2015, in Chicago.

Last year, ACHE partnered with the American Hospital Association in sponsoring the IHF World Hospital Congress, which drew attendees from more than 40 coun-tries, to facilitate the sharing of best practices in healthcare on a global level. � is was the � rst time the World Hospital Congress was held in Chicago and the � rst time in 12 years that the event had been held in the United States. Diverse topics such as patient access, innovations in care delivery and patient engagement drew the interest of attendees, as did discussions around strategies for enhanced care delivery, including tools used in Spain to combat economic challenges or the ways in which Belgian hospitals are tackling ethical issues.

� e most important innovations in healthcare emerge when global leaders gather to learn from one another. ACHE is proud to have supported this opportunity for our members to convene with healthcare leaders from around the world.

Innovate and EducateTo build upon our relevance to you and other healthcare leaders, ACHE delivers a number of meaningful new solutions designed to support you in the important work you do. Such initiatives help members pave a de� nitive path toward career advancement and healthcare leader-ship success.

ACHE is building strong partnerships that provide inno-vative leadership solutions, educate the profession on best practices and deliver tools and expert insight. More and more, healthcare’s success relies on strong col-laboration and partnerships. � rough our partnerships,

ACHE also provides unrivaled networking opportunities for physicians and other healthcare leaders, enabling them to build and strengthen relationships with clinical and nonclinical healthcare leaders to ensure collaborative suc-cess. Cross-functional interactions with leaders across the continuum of care support physician leaders by encour-aging new ways of thinking and expanding their skillset.

Partnerships with other healthcare associations are critical in meeting the needs of our members—particularly those who are new to leadership or new to the � eld—during a period of dynamic change. In 2015, the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association convened a meeting with leaders to identify principles for integrated leadership for hospitals and health systems. � is past October, these groups invited ACHE, the American Organization of Nurse Executives and the American Association for Physician Leadership to collab-orate in communicating these principles to their respective memberships. A key feature of this collaboration has been a series of joint presentations held at each organization’s annual meeting in 2016. Future plans include a co-hosted event with the � ve organizations in 2017.

ACHE also works collaboratively with other nonpro� t healthcare membership associations through the Healthcare Leadership Alliance to share key learnings across specialty areas of expertise. We facilitate data sharing around member satisfaction, performance (including performance around book publishing,

ACHE has formed a task force to ensure the continued value

and credibility of ACHE’s FACHE credential.

7Letter to Members

we strengthen our ability to innovate leadership solutions while educating the � eld around best practices.

For example, ACHE has initiated a partnership with the National Patient Safety Foundation to provide leaders with a strategic and tactical plan for developing and sus-taining a culture of safety in their organizations. Leadership is fundamental to implementing a culture of safety, yet there is a real need for practical knowledge around how to lead and sustain culture change. By com-bining the safety expertise of the NPSF with ACHE’s leadership development expertise, we will provide leaders with strategies for developing a highly reliable care delivery system.

ACHE also nurtures relationships with strategic partners that support and sustain our work, which depends on successful partnerships of all kinds. Take, for example, the relationships with our 11 Premier Corporate Partners. � ese corporations are an essential part of our commu-nity, helping to advance our knowledge of healthcare’s changing needs and supporting our e� orts to provide high-quality programs.

We also are grateful for the donors who contribute to the success of ACHE’s Fund for Innovation in Healthcare Leadership. Last year, 591 donors contributed nearly $140,000. Since its inception, nearly 2,400 donors have made contributions of more than $3 million to the Fund, and 32 major gifts have been received.

One initiative of the Fund is the prestigious � omas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program, designed to enhance diversity and inclusion in senior healthcare leadership. Each year, ACHE awards six scholars the opportunity to participate in the program. Selected scholars receive full tuition for seven educational sessions, including ACHE’s annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, and other specialized opportunities that prepare them to success-fully navigate potential career challenges and enhance their executive presence. Scholars also gain one-on-one interaction with an individually matched mentor, access to an expanded network of leaders, and participation in formal leadership education and career assessments that strengthen self-awareness and critical leadership skills. To date, 18 scholars have bene� tted from this program—and

the healthcare management � eld bene� ts from their train-ing and contributions.

To those of you who have supported the Fund—including Toshiba America Medical Systems Incorporated, which underwrites scholarships for our Senior Executive and Executive programs—thank you for your generosity.

ACHE also is focused on enhancing diversity and inclu-sion at every level of our profession. Healthcare is con-tinually changing, and every leader’s path is unique. � e growth in the diversity of disciplines, gender, race, geog-raphy and career stage is well re� ected in ACHE mem-bership, enabling us to bene� t from the vibrancy in thought and approaches to problem solving that are so critical during times of transformation.

Yet research continues to con� rm disparities in care in the healthcare system. Formal studies—as well as many of our own experiences—indicate diversifying the health-care leadership ranks will reduce disparities in care. Although some strides have been made, data from a 2014 ACHE research study indicate that the median salaries of black respondents were still lower than that of their white counterparts, controlling for education and expe-rience. Further, minority respondents were, in general, less likely to be in CEO positions than white respondents, less likely to report that race relations in their organiza-tions were good, and more likely to report their careers had been negatively impacted by discrimination. We

ACHE members are intent on learning skills to address the

top challenges facing healthcare leaders.

8 Letter to Members

portal of tools to help healthcare executives from diverse backgrounds successfully navigate a path to the C-suite. 

ACHE launched the Asian Healthcare Leaders Forum and the LGBT Forum earlier this year. � ese forums o� er value-added bene� ts developed speci� cally for members interested in the distinct opportunities and issues of Asian American and LGBT healthcare executives.

But the core of our work around diversity and inclusion begins locally, with ACHE chapters playing a pivotal role in these e� orts. Last year, ACHE’s chapters accepted the charge to develop their own diversity and inclusion state-ments. ACHE’s Regents-at-Large worked closely with many of the chapters, and we commend their success: Each of ACHE’s chapters reported completion of diversity and inclusion statements last year—a tremendous achieve-ment. Regents-at-Large now are assisting many chapters with implementing activities to operationalize their diver-sity statements.

We’ve also continued our work with the Equity of Care initiative, an AHA coalition of national partners that stand together in a call to action to eliminate healthcare disparities. Such collaboration is vital as healthcare becomes more community focused.

� rough this work and other initiatives, we believe ACHE is best positioned to play a leading role in diversifying healthcare leadership. A diverse workforce will be best equipped to recognize and address existing gaps in care, e� ectively improving health for all.

Forming more inclusive teams in our communities will be key to solving disparities in care. In addition to adopt-ing statements on diversity, a number of chapters also work with diversity executive groups to foster greater engagement locally with diverse healthcare leaders, increasing opportunities for shared dialogue and providing new opportunities to address healthcare’s greatest challenges—together.

know that inclusion and cultural competence are key to reducing disparities in care. Cultural diversity in health-care leadership is critical to ensuring that policies and procedures are adequately meeting the needs of multicul-tural patients and communities.

In the past year, ACHE’s Board of Governors has sharp-ened its strategic focus and directed the organization to take a more explicit approach toward diversifying health-care’s leadership ranks. ACHE’s 2016–2018 strategic plan features a leadership initiative on advancing executive leadership diversity to increase the pipeline, the pool and the prevalence of diverse executives in the C-suite. To do this work well, we are dedicating increased resources to the e� ort and strengthening our relationships with diverse partner groups.

We have formalized a relationship with � ve diverse part-ner groups: the Institute for Diversity in Health Management, the National Association of Health Services Executives, the National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives and ACHE’s two new communities, the Asian Healthcare Leaders Forum and the LGBT Forum. Our � rst major collaborative initiative will be the development of an executive diversity road map as part of an online

Last year, ACHE’s Health Administration Press division

published 17 new releases.

9Letter to Members

Making a Difference for Leaders Who Care� rough these and other initiatives, ACHE raises the bar for excellence in the profession by equipping leaders with tools and insight to guide their teams to success.

Focus on and respect for excellence begins at home. As we continue our Baldrige journey, we are proud to report that in 2015, we again received a Silver Award from Illinois Performance Excellence for our ongoing work and achievements in meeting the Baldrige criteria for perfor-mance excellence. With a growing membership, we must continually examine our e� orts to ensure our members receive the highest level of service. As we adopt a new association management software system this year, we are taking advantage of the opportunity to improve our oper-ations to serve members every day.

No matter where you are in your career, ACHE continues to deliver the core o� erings and value that support your mission of serving others. ACHE is a resource you can turn to throughout your leadership journey. We strive to be the preeminent professional society for healthcare leaders who are dedicated to improving health—leaders who care.

� e responsibilities that come with leadership propel us into a world that few can grasp, but the call to lead inspires us to persevere. ACHE is proud to support caring leaders in their e� orts to improve the health of their communities. Together, we are inspiring good leaders to greatness and great leaders to excellence. Together, we are advancing healthcare management excellence.

Edward H. Lamb, FACHEChairmanDivision President, Western DivisionIASIS HealthcareSouth Jordan, Utah

Charles D. Stokes, FACHEChairman-ElectExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating O� cerMemorial Hermann Health SystemHouston

Richard D. Cordova, FACHEImmediate Past ChairmanPresident EmeritusChildren’s Hospital Los Angeles

Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAEPresident and Chief Executive O� cerAmerican College of Healthcare Executives