During the March 17 Board of Governors meeting, ACHE’s four new Governors and Chair-Elect were welcomed ahead of their official installation into their new roles during the March 18 Council of Regents meeting. The Board also expressed its gratitude for the service and leadership of the outgoing Governors and Immediate Past Chair.
2023 Congress on Healthcare Leadership
The Board received an update on the 2023 Congress on Healthcare Leadership. Notable trends include that nearly a quarter of the attendees held C-suite roles and the Executive Flex Pass option was a popular offering. Congress attendance included substantial growth in participation by clinical leaders, a sizable increase by new Fellows participating in Convocation and greater
participation from District 6, which includes members of the U.S. armed forces and Veterans Affairs. During the meeting, it was also noted that there was high visibility of the Congress agenda across ACHE’s social media channels.
Business Summary
The Board received and approved strategic and operational updates, including a report of operations with results of the 2022 corporate performance objectives, the preliminary and unaudited financial statements as of Dec. 31, 2022, an investment summary report and select annual committee reports.
The Board also received and approved reports on:
- The final 2023 corporate performance objectives, levels and weights.
- Revisions to the bylaws of ACHE and the Foundation of ACHE, which included the addition of Board members to the Ethics Committee and a description of the makeup of the Audit Committee.
- Revisions to the ACHE Regulations Governing Admission, Advancement, and Recertification, which created alignment with the new education policy requirements and streamlined certain terminology.
2024–2025 Strategy Kick-Off
ACHE operates on a three-year strategic planning cycle, and in 2023—the second year of the cycle—the Board confirmed the direction of the 2023–2025 Strategic Plan. Anticipating the deep dive into the strategic plan that will take place during the third year of the planning cycle, the Board kicked off its planning process for 2024–2025. The 2023–2025 Strategic Plan is focused on the execution and monitoring of four key endeavors: technology acceleration; next-level diversity, equity and inclusion strategy; chapter partnerships; and the FACHE® credential campaign. The actions associated with these endeavors are designed to advance ACHE’s vision of being the preeminent professional society for leaders dedicated to advancing health.
During the meeting, the Board also reviewed the following strategic imperatives:
Technology Acceleration Plan: In our role as Trusted Partner, ACHE is accelerating the use of technology with the goal of creating an unparalleled digital experiences for leaders. A future technology blueprint that includes reengineered business and core platforms, such as customer relationships management software, and website redevelopment, will be necessary to drive the transformation. ACHE is working to structure the technology acceleration plan so that it will be implemented in stages.
In the near term, a number of enhancements to search and navigation functions on ache.org are ready to be implemented, including updated formats and improved tools.
Next-Level DEI Strategy: In our role as Catalyst, ACHE leads for equity and safety. Patients, as our true north, guide this work. As such, ACHE is exploring various models—not prescriptive solutions—that not only represent a blueprint for total health but also leverage the organization as a resource for leaders wherever they may be in their DEI journey.
ACHE-Chapter Partnership 3.0 Model Update: In our role as Connector, ACHE will commit to growing our professional community across the healthcare continuum by leveraging and strengthening our partnerships with chapters and other organizations. ACHE has engaged a partner to evaluate the current state of the chapter relationship and model emerging directions. The Board received an update on this work and discussed how it will foster the growth and vitality of our chapters by supporting a robust and seamless experience.
FACHE Leadership Campaign Update: Another element of our role as Trusted Partner is to accelerate adoption of board certification in healthcare management as an ACHE Fellow, or the FACHE credential, as the gold standard in healthcare leadership. The Board approved a new marketing campaign designed to communicate and celebrate the value of the credential and grow the ranks of ACHE Fellows. The campaign is expected to launch later this spring.
ACHE Learn Update
The Board received an update on 2023 goals and opportunities for ACHE’s publishing arm, Health Administration Press. This multifaceted business line is working to evolve with the changes in publishing and the trend toward digital consumption of content.
In other Learn updates, ACHE educational offerings this year include the Virtual Leadership Symposium in May and in-person clusters in New York (July); Austin, Texas (October); and Orlando, Fla. (December). Popular offerings, such as the Executive Program, virtual seminars, virtual Board of Governors Exam preparation courses and the virtual Health System Simulation, will also continue.
On March 20, 2023–2024 ACHE Chair Delvecchio S. Finley, FACHE, convened his first Board meeting. Highlights from this meeting include:
Committee Appointments
ACHE’s committees represent the work of hundreds of volunteers contributing to the advancement of ACHE’s vision, mission and values. The Board approved the appointment of 127 new committee members who will serve alongside 280 continuing members. Particular attention was paid to diversifying the membership of committees by district, gender, race and organization class.
The next Board of Governors meeting is scheduled to take place June 26–27. Highlights of that meeting will be published in a future issue of Healthcare Executive.