Executive News

ACHE Member Update

Interim Regents Appointed 
Robert E. Leech, FACHE, chief compliance officer, Enhabit Home Health & Hospice, Birmingham, Ala., has been appointed Interim Regent for Alabama. 

Kelly O. Watson, DNP, RN, FACHE, vice president/CNO, Rutland (Vt.) Regional Medical Center, has been appointed Interim Regent for Vermont. 

ACHE Call for Nominations for the 2024 Slate
ACHE’s 2023–2024 Nominating Committee is calling for applications for service beginning in 2024. ACHE Fellows are eligible for the Chair-Elect and Governor vacancies as well as 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 2026).
• Nominating Committee Member, District 4 (two-year term ending in 2026).
• Nominating Committee Member, District 5 (two-year term ending in 2026).
• Four Governors (three-year terms ending in 2027).
• Chair-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 Chair-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 Chair-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 krock@ache.org and must be received by July 28. All correspondence should be addressed to Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, chair, Nominating Committee, c/o Kim Rock, American College of Healthcare Executives, 300 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 1900, Chicago, IL 60606-6698.

The first meeting of ACHE’s 2023–2024 Nominating Committee will be held March 21 during the 2023 Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago. The committee will be in open session at 2:45 p.m. Central time. During the meeting, an orientation session will be conducted for potential candidates, giving them the opportunity to ask questions regarding the nominating process. Immediately following the orientation, an open forum will be provided for ACHE members to present and discuss their views of ACHE leadership needs. 

Following the July 28 submission deadline, the committee may meet to determine which candidates for Chair-Elect and Governor will be interviewed. All candidates will be notified of the committee’s decision no later than Sept. 29, and candidates for Chair-Elect and Governor will be interviewed in person Oct. 19.

To review the Candidate Guidelines, visit ache.org/CandidateGuidelines. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Rock at (312) 424-9375 or krock@ache.org.

Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Programs: Application Period Opens in February
The application period for the Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity and Career Accelerator programs will be open from February through early April. Both the Dolan Executive Diversity and Career Accelerator programs provide education, mentoring and networking experiences to prepare diverse leaders for higher-level positions in hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations. In 2023, the Executive Diversity Program will consist of e-learning, including live and recorded webinars, self-study materials and three in-person sessions in Chicago, Houston and Atlanta. The Career Accelerator Program will be exclusively virtual this year, consisting of 14 virtual live sessions. Dolan scholars are empowered through a structured curriculum and activities that cultivate strong leadership presence; sharpen expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion; build critical leadership skills; and expand one’s capacity to navigate career opportunities and challenges. Both programs are six months in duration.

The Dolan Executive Diversity Program has offered specialized leadership development for diverse leaders since it was established in 2014 by the Foundation of ACHE’s Fund for Healthcare Leadership to honor Thomas C. Dolan, who served as president and CEO of ACHE from 1991 to 2013. The program honors his long-standing service to the profession of healthcare leadership and furthers his strong commitment to achieving greater diversity among senior healthcare leaders. In 2021, the program was expanded with the addition of the Career Accelerator Program, designed for diverse mid-careerists to support their career advancement. For more information about the Executive Diversity and Career Accelerator programs, visit ache.org/DiversityPrograms.

Leaders in Action

To promote the many benefits of ACHE membership, the following ACHE leader spoke recently at the following in-person event: 

Delvecchio S. Finley, FACHE
Chair-Elect
South Texas Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives
“ACHE Update,” Healthcare Landscape Conference 2023
San Antonio, Texas
(January 2023)

ACHE Staff News

2022 Pickert Award Winners Announced 
Shannon E. Heflin, coordinator, Development, Executive Office, and Illana N. Hodges, business analyst, Health Administration Press, are the 2022 recipients of the Alton E. Pickert Award, which recognizes employees who have demonstrated significant service to ACHE and its members. 

The award was established by Anne M. Pickert to honor the memory of Alton E. Pickert, FACHE, ACHE Chair from 1983 to 1984. During his tenure, Pickert emphasized the important contributions of ACHE staff to the healthcare field. Heflin joined ACHE in 2017. Hodges joined ACHE in 2020. 

ACHE Staff Members Give Back to Community in 2022
In 2022, ACHE’s staff members gave generously during the annual United Way of Metropolitan Chicago pledge drive. The team donated more than $10,520 for United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. When combined with a $3,000 donation from ACHE, the amount raised totaled over $13,520. 

ACHE Announces New Hires
Alexandra N. Calingo welcomed as program specialist, Department of Learning. 

Andrew Prazuch, CAE, welcomed as director, Membership, Department of Executive Engagement. 

Erin Ringstrand welcomed as chapter relations manager, Chapter Relations, Department of Executive Engagement.