The following are unique events the Midwest Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (Michigan, Ohio) and California Association of Healthcare Leaders held during the past several months.
Leading as Your Best Self
Nearly 150 emerging and executive leaders from The Midwest Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives took part in the chapter’s biannual MCACHE Emerging Leaders Summit in Detroit, focusing on the theme “Leading as Your Best Self.”
Two physicians from Henry Ford Health, who also serve in that role for the Detroit Pistons, kicked things off with a keynote address. They discussed how to be the best version of yourself personally and in your career; outlined holistic approaches to physical, mental and social well-being; and described how concepts of physical and mental preparedness in sports performance can be used in a professional setting.
Angela DeLaere, FACHE, the chapter’s president, and president and CEO, Visiting Nurse Association and Bluewater Hospice, Port Huron, Mich., moderated a discussion with the physicians following their keynote. “The synergies between the speakers expressed how they bring their best self to work every day and how they work as a team in a role of high demands,” says DeLaere.
Attendees also participated in breakout sessions that included a leadership/personality assessment, how to optimize your personal brand online and an interactive case study on dealing with multiple priorities as a new leader. A tour of Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, followed.
To close out the summit, attendees enjoyed a panel discussion titled “What Does it Mean to Bring Yourself to Work?” Panelists included a distinguished group of healthcare leaders who gave insight into tips for bringing your best self to work and methods for overcoming adversity and stressful situations. The panelists spoke on how to remain present in the moment, support the mission at hand and deliver quality outcomes for their teams, all while being a servant leader.
Throughout the summit, attendees could get their resumé reviewed and headshot taken. The event concluded with networking over drinks and appetizers.
The summit was well received by the local chapter board and the attendees, with many commenting that it was one of the largest and most successful events the chapter has hosted in years.
Attendees are eagerly looking forward to attending the next summit in 2024. The event was the culmination of a yearlong effort by its planning team and showcased the power and potential of Metro Detroit’s young professionals in bringing healthcare organizations together.
Implementing Clinical and DEI Programming
California Association of Healthcare Leaders’ Clinical Leadership Committee and Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee create opportunities for education, collaboration, professional growth and networking.
The Clinical Leadership Committee provides practical tools for clinician leaders to decrease health disparities in their organizations. The committee chair presented on the topic “Moving From Person-Centered to Equity-Centered Care: Strategic and Practical Implementation of EID in a Large Healthcare System to Improve Health Disparity Outcomes” at the 2023 Congress on Healthcare Leadership. In a collaborative effort with the Member and Volunteer Growth committees, CLC presented an abbreviated version of this presentation to new chapter members. The chapter prioritizes justice, equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives to improve overall healthcare disparities. CLC will also be collaborating with the Higher Education Network Committee to optimize recruitment and engagement of clinician students (like medical and nursing students), while providing educational events that will expose them to the business and leadership side of medicine early in their careers.
The chapter’s leadership believes healthcare leaders have a responsibility to consider how clinical care delivery systems and patient outcomes are affected and can be improved by considering environmental, social and corporate governance. The Clinical Leadership Committee hosted a Virtual ACHE Face-to-Face Education credit panel, “Improving the Health Status of Your Community: Climate Change & Population Health.” Attendees learned how ESG affects clinical care delivery and next steps on how to improve clinical outcomes using this model.
The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee hosted a Virtual Face-to-Face Education credit event to make the business case for DEI work, and there are plans for a series that will focus on how to implement a program. The series will include case studies of organizations at different points in their journey and strategies for building momentum. The goal is to provide DEI offerings that can help individuals and organizations at any stage of their journey.
Another area of focus is to determine what progress needs to look like for the diversity composition of the chapter’s membership and what committees need to further justice, equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The chapter surveyed members to identify areas that are important to them. The results and feedback will reveal members’ priorities so programming and support can be organized to meet these needs.
To find your chapter, search the chapter directory. To discuss your ideas for chapters, contact Stacey A. Kidd, CAE, director, Chapter Relations, Department of Executive Engagement, at (312) 424-9323 or skidd@ache.org.