Executive News

ACHE Member Update

ACHE Call for Nominations for the 2022 Slate
ACHE’s 2021–2022 Nominating Committee is calling for applications for service beginning in 2022. ACHE Fellows are eligible for any of the Governor and Chairman-Elect vacancies and are eligible for the Nominating Committee vacancies within their districts. Those interested in pursuing applications should review the candidate guidelines for the competencies and qualifications required for these important roles. Open positions on the slate include:

• Nominating Committee Member, District 1 (two-year term ending in 2024)
• Nominating Committee Member, District 4 (two-year term ending in 2024)
• Nominating Committee Member, District 5 (two-year term ending in 2024)
• Four Governors (three-year terms ending in 2025)
• Chairman-Elect

Please refer to the following district designations for the open positions:

• District 1: Canada, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
• District 4: Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas
• District 5: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Candidates for Chairman-Elect and Governor should submit an application to serve that includes a copy of their resume and up to 10 letters of support. For details, please review the Candidate Guidelines, including guidance from the Board of Governors to the Nominating Committee regarding the personal competencies of Chairman-Elect and Governor candidates and the composition of the Board of Governors.

Candidates for the Nominating Committee should only submit a letter of self-nomination and a copy of their resume.

Applications to serve and self-nominations must be submitted electronically to jnolan@ache.org and must be received by July 15. All correspondence should be addressed to Heather J. Rohan, FACHE, chairman, Nominating Committee, c/o Julie Nolan, American College of Healthcare Executives, 300 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 1900, Chicago, IL 60606-6698.

The first meeting of ACHE’s 2021–2022 Nominating Committee will be held in spring 2021.

Following the July 15 submission deadline, the committee will meet to determine which candidates for Chairman-Elect and Governor will be interviewed. All candidates will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision by Sept. 30, and candidates for Chairman-Elect and Governor will be interviewed in person on Oct. 28.

To review the Candidate Guidelines, visit ache.org/CandidateGuidelines. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Nolan at (312) 424-9367 or jnolan@ache.org.

ACHE Holds Virtual Executive Search Firm Exchange
On Dec. 2, 2020, ACHE held its 31st annual Executive Search Firm Exchange. The virtual event provided an opportunity for representatives of executive search firms to share insights and ideas regarding healthcare industry transformation and to interact with ACHE leadership.

The program included opening remarks by Gina T. LaMantia, director of the ACHE Career Resource Center within the Department of Executive Engagement, and an ACHE update by ACHE President/CEO Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE.

Guest speaker Anu R. Singh, managing director, Kaufman Hall, presented on the topic, “The Future State of Healthcare: Considerations for Moving Forward, Identifying Priorities and Preparing for What Lies Ahead.” He then led a panel discussion of hospital and health system leaders about healthcare transformation as delivery models evolve, and human and intellectual capital are redefined with greater emphasis on segmentation, integration, collaboration and culture.

ACHE Chairman Michael J. Fosina, FACHE, president, NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital, Bronxville, N.Y., and senior vice president, NewYork-Presbyterian, New York; ACHE Chairman-Elect Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president, Northern California Region, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, Oakland, Calif.; and ACHE Immediate Past Chairman Heather J. Rohan, FACHE, division president, TriStar Health, Brentwood, Tenn., served as panelists.

Representatives from numerous executive search firms attended. A complete list of ACHE’s executive search firm partners can be found at ache.org/ExecutiveSearchFirms.

2021 Career Accelerator Program: Application Period Opens April 1
The application period for the newest component of the Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program, the 2021 Career Accelerator Program, will be open from April 1–May 14.

For 2021, the Executive Diversity Program has been expanded to provide more opportunities for racially and/or ethnically and LGBTQ diverse healthcare leaders to participate in this prestigious program. The new 2021 Career Accelerator Program will help mid-level careerists prepare to advance to higher leadership roles. Scholars will benefit from a specialized career development curriculum that includes strategies designed to help diverse healthcare executives succeed. In addition, scholars will benefit from virtual mentoring, networking and career assessments.

The Executive Diversity Program was established by the Foundation of ACHE’s Fund for Healthcare Leadership to honor Dolan, who served as president and CEO of ACHE from 1991 to 2013, for his long-standing service to the profession of healthcare leadership and to further his strong commitment to achieving greater diversity among senior healthcare leaders. The 2021 Career Accelerator Program scholars will receive tuition to attend ACHE educational offerings that will allow them to earn up to 6 ACHE Face-to-Face Education credits. Participants in the 2021 Career Accelerator Program will gain enhanced self-awareness, critical leadership skills and access to an expanded network of leaders. For more information about the Executive Diversity Program, visit ache.org/ExecutiveDiversity.

People

Two Member-Led Organizations Earn 2020 Baldrige Award
ACHE congratulates GMBC HealthCare System, Baltimore, led by President/CEO John B. Chessare, MD, FACHE, and Wellstar Paulding Hospital, Hiram, Ga., led by Senior Vice President/President John Kueven, RN, FACHE, for earning the 2020 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This award is the nation’s highest presidential honor for performance excellence through innovation, improvement and visionary leadership. GMBC HealthCare System and Wellstar Paulding Hospital were two of five organizations to earn the award in 2020.
We are proud to have them as part of our network. To learn more about Baldrige, visit nist.gov/baldrige.

Two Fellows Receive AHA Board of Trustees Award
Ninfa M. Saunders, DHA, FACHE(R), former president/CEO, Navicent Health, Macon, Ga., and Nicholas R. Tejeda, FACHE, group CEO, The Hospitals of Providence, El Paso, Texas, received the American Hospital Association’s 2020 Board of Trustees Award.

The award is presented to individuals or groups that have made substantial and noteworthy contributions to the work of the AHA.

Leaders in Action

To promote the many benefits of ACHE membership, the following ACHE leaders spoke recently at these virtual events:

Kurt A. Barwis, FACHE
Governor
Virtual Award Reception and Regent Update, Canadian Chapter of ACHE
(December 2020)

William P. Santulli, FACHE
Governor
Virtual Award Event and Governor Update, New Mexico Healthcare Executives
(January 2021)

ACHE Staff Update

2020 Employee Recognition
Each year, in honor of Alton E. Pickert, Chairman from 1983–1984, ACHE recognizes employees who have demonstrated significant service to ACHE and its members. For 2020, ACHE elected to expand the recognition program and recognized those staff members who went above and beyond during a particularly challenging year. The following five staff members were recognized for their dedication, hard work and positive attitude:

Crystal M. Felton, office services assistant, Department of Business Excellence.

Rosie M. Filicicchia, marketing coordinator, Department of Marketing.

Ronney N. Hunter, assistant director, Infrastructure, Department of Information Technology.

Summer A. O’Neill, assistant director, Program Development, Department of Professional Development.

Lauren E. Spencer, CMP, manager, Product Marketing, Department of Marketing.

ACHE Staff Members Give Back to Community in 2020
In 2020, ACHE’s Community Service Committee helped staff members give their time and monetary contributions to several charities, including United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and Little Brothers–Friends of the Elderly, Chicago Chapter, a charity that supports alleviating loneliness and isolation among elders. The CSC chose elder care as its theme for the year, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the committee refocused its efforts on helping staff find local opportunities to provide relief for the health crisis. ACHE staff made and donated 50 no-sew fleece blankets to Little Brothers–Friends of the Elderly, Chicago Chapter, and raised more than $6,960 for United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. When combined with a $3,000 donation from ACHE, the amount raised for United Way totaled over $9,960.