Executive News

ACHE Policy Statements and Code of Ethics Updated

The ACHE Board of Governors approved at its December meeting changes to seven ACHE Policy Statements and the Code of Ethics suggested by subject-matter experts to the Board Policy Committee.

ACHE has nearly 30 Policy Statements that provide guidance and best practices to healthcare leaders on matters important to the profession. Policy Statements are reviewed and revised annually on a rolling basis to ensure they’re relevant to leaders.

Along with the Code of Ethics, the following statements were revised:

• ACHE Statement on Diversity
• Adopting a Systematic Approach to Bringing Healthcare Executives Into a New Position or Organization
• Decisions Near the End of Life
• Organ/Tissue/Blood/Blood Stem Cells Donation Process
• Responsibility for Mentoring
• Strengthening Healthcare Employment Opportunities for Persons With Disabilities
• The Role of the Healthcare Executive of a Nonprofit Entity in a Change in Organizational Ownership or Control

Call for Candidates for ACHE’s 2026 Leadership Slate

ACHE’s 2025–2026 Nominating Committee is looking for experienced leaders to serve in ACHE’s top leadership ranks for terms beginning in 2026. 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 roles. Open positions on the slate include:

• Nominating Committee member, District 1 (two-year term ending in 2028).
• Nominating Committee member, District 4 (two-year term ending in 2028).
• Nominating Committee member, District 5 (two-year term ending in 2028).
• Four Governors (three-year terms ending in 2029).
  Chair-Elect.

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, a copy of their resume and up to 10 letters of support.

For more details on the candidate guidelines, visit ache.org/CandidateGuidelines. For more on call for candidates, visit ache.org/CallforCandidates.

Remembering Don Avery, Former ACHE Governor, Regent

Donald Robert “Don” Avery, FACHE, president and CEO of Fairview Park Hospital, Dublin, Ga., passed away Jan. 23, 2025, at the age of 68. He was preceded in death by his daughter Meredith Fara Avery and is survived by his wife of 40 years, Fara Haney Avery; daughter and son-in-law, Amelia and Travis Cobb; and two grandchildren.

An Eagle Scout, Don showcased leadership early on. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1978 and served six years as a pilot, instructor pilot and operations officer, as well as two years in the Florida National Guard.

Don was a member of ACHE for 40 years. He served on ACHE’s Board of Governors from 2008–2011, as a Regent for Georgia from 2003–2006, and on several committees. He received ACHE’s Senior-Level Regent Award, the Service Award, the Distinguished Service Award and the Exemplary Service Award. 

As a survivor of Hodgkins lymphoma in his early 20s, Don had a unique perspective on patient care and a fierce commitment to healthcare excellence. He earned two master’s degrees from the University of Florida in business and health science and then worked in several hospital executive leadership positions before becoming president and CEO of Hughston Orthopedic Hospital, Columbus, Ga., in 2003. In 2008 Don was named to lead Fairview Park Hospital, where he immediately focused on creating a culture of excellence and a Fairview family. 

The hospital earned numerous accolades under his leadership, including being named a Top 100 Rural Hospital, a CMS 5-star rated facility and the No. 1 medium-sized hospital by Georgia Trend. Don recently announced his intent to retire in July 2025. “For 17 years, Don led our hospital with passion and a personality that was bigger than life,” Fairview Park said in a statement.

ACHE Author, Ethics Expert Frankie Perry Passes Away

Frankie Perry, RN, FACHE, passed away this past January. She was 90. Frankie was a champion of ethics in healthcare management, mentoring emerging leaders and supporting lifelong learning for all healthcare professionals. 

She began her career as a registered nurse, taking on various nursing supervisory positions, including head nurse of the operating room at Hurley Medical Center, where she also worked to establish a dialysis center. She became the assistant medical center director in 1982. At Hurley, she created a biomedical ethics committee, an institutional review board and a patient advocacy program. In addition to her nursing diploma from Nazareth College, she received a master’s degree with a concentration in sociology of medicine and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. 

In 1986, Frankie accepted the position of director, Communications and Marketing, at the American College of Healthcare Executives. She was promoted to vice president, Membership, and then to executive vice president. She helped develop ACHE’s Ethical Policy Statements and wrote the first regular ethics column in Healthcare Executive.

Even after retirement, she continued to encourage advancement in ACHE and achievement of the FACHE credential. She supported New Mexico’s Regents, served on their Advisory Councils, wrote the Regent’s newsletter and helped secure funding for the annual ACHE breakfast. She authored many healthcare-focused articles and books, including The Tracks We Leave: Ethics in Healthcare Management and Management Mistakes in Healthcare: Identification, Correction and Prevention, in addition to teaching at the University of New Mexico and conducting ACHE online seminars. 

In 2011, Frankie was the first female recipient to receive  the ACHE Lifetime Service and Achievement Award. She also received an ACHE Regent’s Award for Significant Contributions to Healthcare Management Excellence and the Edgar C. Hayhow Award for Article of the Year.