Healthcare Leaders of New York
The chapter forged new ground with many firsts earlier this year. Several initiatives were planned and implemented by the Membership Committee to retain, grow and more deeply engage with HLNY members.
In February, HLNY drew nearly 100 people to its first virtual town hall, which detailed ACHE membership opportunities and featured interactive testimonials. They also hed a Q&A that inspired nonmembers to join and existing members to re-engage with the chapter.
Following the town hall, the chapter sent a membership survey to members and nonmembers asking them to share their experiences and express their ideas for improving the chapter’s offerings. The survey was designed to gain insights on more specific demographics, including identity descriptions, job roles and types of employers, and it explored preferences for engaging with HLNY and potential barriers to participation.
Due to a low response rate, the Membership Committee extended the survey deadline and offered an opportunity to enter a raffle with prizes, including a HLNY wine tumbler, a backpack and a grand prize of a free ticket to an upcoming event. With a random winner drawn and announced weekly to generate interest, participation increased by over 400%, with a total of 169 respondents when the survey was closed.
In preparation for this year’s membership drop of those who have not paid their chapter dues, the Membership Committee led a communication campaign in partnership with the Marketing Committee via email and social media. In a multi-part series, the campaign targeted members with unpaid dues for 2024 with reminders to renew membership that listed member benefits. Additional visual graphics with similar messaging were posted to a broader audience on LinkedIn.
Part of the campaign included a specific message to student members, encouraging them to upgrade to full Member status. To supplement the campaign, four individual testimonials were shared on LinkedIn, spotlighting student members, past presidents and board members that included quotes of their personal “whys” (titled “My HLNY”) for joining, continually engaging and giving back to the chapter. Click rates and engagement metrics for the campaign are being reviewed for impact.
The average annual membership decline for the chapter has historically been 22%, but the campaigns and engagement in the first quarter of this year reduced the drop-off rate to only 16% for 2024, a 10-point improvement from the previous year.
Oregon Chapter of ACHE
The chapter has been taking new steps to invigorate and engage its members across Oregon. When Valdez G. Bravo, FACHE, then the chapter’s president-elect, attended ACHE’s Chapter Leaders Conference in 2022, the best practices and information sharing he heard there about meeting the full value proposition of chapter members inspired him to take what he learned back to his chapter. So, he drafted a 10-point strategic plan that he presented to the chapter board at a strategic planning retreat. After reviewing the various metrics, the board identified goals and subgoals to assess progress and celebrate success.
“I am so excited about the energy and innovation that the members of the Oregon Chapter of ACHE are bringing to the table,” said Bravo. “Democratizing our board, committees and chapter planning has yielded such great benefits for our membership!”
Next, the board reinvigorated the Planning & Education Committee by giving members an opportunity to get involved and plan programming. The chapter also created two new committees: a Communications Committee to market education events and provide updates to chapter members, and a Membership Committee to plan and offer networking events, assist members with advancing to Fellow and ensure the chapter is meeting the value proposition for its members.
Another exciting change for the chapter was holding open elections for the board positions. Traditionally, new board members had been referred and recruited to board service by existing board members, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the board had not regularly filled those vacated seats. Last fall, Bravo solicited interest from the chapter and received a dozen candidates for the secretary/treasurer role and three board member positions. The election had a turnout rate of 24%, and newly elected board members were revealed and celebrated at the Oregon ACHE Fall Conference. In the spring, the chapter held an open election for president in accordance with the chapter bylaws, with the president-elect named at this year’s Spring Conference.
Additionally, Oregon has a new Regent, Jane J. Russell, PharmD, FACHE, who began her three-year term as Regent in March. Russell brings deep experience from her past work for other chapters, which will benefit the members in Oregon.
Search the chapter directory to find your Chapter. To discuss your ideas for chapters, contact Stacey A. Kidd, CAE, director, Chapter Relations, Department of Executive Engagement, at (312) 424-9323 or skidd@ache.org.