The American College of Healthcare Executives Board of Governors met March 22 to discuss 2024 work plans for ACHE and the Foundation of ACHE. The following are highlights from both meetings.
During the March 22 Board of Governors meeting, ACHE’s new Governors and Chair-Elect were welcomed ahead of their official installation into their new roles during the March 23 Council of Regents meeting. The Board expressed its gratitude for the service and leadership of the outgoing Governors and Immediate Past Chair.
2024 Congress on Healthcare Leadership
The Board received an update on the 2024 Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which attracted over 5,500 participants and sold out the event. 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 the Department of Veterans Affairs. Non-member participation also experienced a significant increase. It was also noted that there was high visibility of the Congress agenda across ACHE’s social media channels. The 2025 Congress will take place March 24–27 in Houston.
Business Summary
The Board received and approved strategic and operational updates, including a Report of Operations with results of the 2023 corporate performance objectives, the preliminary and unaudited financial statements as of Dec. 31, 2023, and the final 2024 corporate performance objectives, levels and weights. ACHE delivered strong performance in 2023, achieving threshold or target on CPOs for corporate financial objectives, growth in Members and Fellows, growth in Members passing the Board of Governors Exam and member satisfaction.
The Board also received and approved reports on the $1 Million Campaign for Healthcare Leaders of Tomorrow, which had raised more than $595,000 so far. Initiated by Immediate Past Chair Delvecchio Finley, FACHE, and Chair Bill Santulli, FACHE, nearly $193,000 has been raised so far in 2024. The campaign will continue through March 2025, with the hope of reaching our $1 million goal.
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 experience for leaders. A progress report, timeline and investment summary were shared for each of the initiatives being implemented. These include the Salesforce Customer Relationship Management system and website redevelopment. A refreshed ACHE brand identity and color palette are part of this work. New user experiences featuring enhanced functionality and a new website will debut in 2025.
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 has refined a DEI Competency assessment tool that will be available soon. Identification of opportunities to optimize technology for digital use is also underway.
Work continues to advance in the development of a blueprint for leading an inclusive environment. So far, ACHE has completed a DEI literature review and scheduled interviews with C-suite leaders to inform content. Co-leaders for a CEO advisory panel have also been confirmed. The blueprint is expected in 2025.
Strengthening the ACHE/Chapter Partnership:
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 is working to identify new ways to enhance the ACHE and chapter partnership and add value for chapters and chapter leader volunteers. ACHE is currently seeking the best path to assist chapters based on initial feedback from chapter leaders.
ACHE Learn Update
The Board received an update on a three-year plan to optimize ACHE’s publishing arm, Health Administration Press, for academic and employer markets. Operational improvements and growth are the hallmarks of the new plan.
New Strategic Plan Kickoff
This year the Board is conducting a “deep dive” on the Strategic Plan, as it does every three years. Consultants from Chartis LLC, a leading strategic solutions and planning company, joined the meeting to kick off the process for ACHE 2025–2027 Strategic Plan. The process begins with feedback from the Board, which participated in facilitated group discussions around the changing landscape, the pace of change, the evolving requirements of leaders and implications for ACHE. The Strategic Plan was also the topic of discussion at the Regent Think Tank, conducted as part of Regent activities March 23 at Congress. These discussions will be synthesized for continued discussion at the Board’s June retreat. Additional input will be sought from chapter leaders, members and others later in the year.
The next Board of Governors meeting is scheduled to take place June 23–25. Highlights of that meeting will be published in a future issue of Healthcare Executive.