ACHE Central Texas Chapter Newsletter - Q2 2016
 
In This Issue

2016 Calender of Events

Care Coordination and Telemedicine Strategies
Thursday, July 28th , 2016
11:30 - 4:00 PM; Social Event 4:30 PM
Texas Hospital Association -  THA Board Room
1108 Lavaca, Suite 700
Austin, TX 78720
*Earn 1.5 hour ACHE credit

HFMA/ACHE Summer Institute
August 25, 2016
Seton Administrative Offices
1345 Philomena Street
Austin, Texas 78723
More details to follow

CTACHE Networking Event - Save the Date!
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016
5:30 - 7:30 PM
Registration coming soon
 
2016 Central Texas
Board of Directors

Michael Nowicki, EdD,
FACHE, FHFMA
Regent

Amanda Frye, MHA
President

Eric Weaver, MHA, FACHE
President Elect

David Perez, MBA
Secretary/Treasurer

Beth Booher, MHA, FACHE
Director of Membership

Maria Serafine, MHA
Director of Program Development

Richard Sanchez, MHA
Director of Communications
  
Jeff Blackwell, FACHE, MAJ, MS
Director of Local Program Council

Amanda Estrada, MHA, FACHE
Director of Networking & Social Events
 
 
Please extend a warm welcome 
to our new members:  
 
April
SGM Timothy L. Abrahamson, Fort Hood
Time Collins, Belton
Katrina George, Waco
Charles Kaczmarek, Austin
Gerry Manalang, Killeen
sunny Yadav, MD, Austin

May
Joshua A. Cartwright, Dallas  
Danilo R. Coite, MD, Bolingbrook
Lee Hamilton, Austin
Emilia Keric, JD, Austin
John Knighten, Austin
Gurneet S. Kohli, Austin
John R. Maroon, Temple
Amy Reeves, Pflugerville

 June
Liberty L. Adair, Hewitt
Behnaz Asgar, Austin
MaryEllen Bond, Killeen
Georgina Bouton, Pflugerville
Anthony A. Bowen, Belton
Kory R. Browning, Georgetown
Clay Holland, Fredericksburg
Krysta Kothmann, Austin
Amy LaFleur, Houston
Sitty S. Spence, Hutto

Fellows:
June
Anita Soares, FACHE, Austin
John M. Walker, FACHE, Austin

Re-certified  Fellows: 
April
Luke N. Potts, FACHE, Austin

May
Nelson Mann, FACHE, Austin

June
Matthew S. Brooks, PhD, FACHE, New Braunfels
COL Lozay Foots III, FACHE, Belton
James I. Rodriguez, FACHE, Austin

Members who recently pass the Board of Governors Exam:
April
George N. Miller, Austin
 
June
Robert Millette, Belton



ACHE National News

Apply for the Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program by July 8, 2016.

During this year-long program, EDP scholars will receive specialized curriculum opportunities that address successful navigation of potential career challenges and enhance executive presence. Each scholar also will benefit from one-on-one interactions with a specially selected mentor and participation in formal leadership education and career assessments. The EDP will empower participants with enhanced self-awareness, critical leadership skills and an expanded network of leaders to help prepare the EDP scholars for their ascension to C-suite roles in hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations .

Visit ache.org/ExecutiveDiversity  for more information or to apply. Please direct any questions about the Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program to Cie Armstead, director, diversity and inclusion, at [email protected] (312) 424-9306. 

The Foundation of ACHE's Fund for Innovation in Healthcare Leadership is accepting donations to the Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program. Gifts-no matter the amount-will help shape the future of healthcare leadership. Visit ache.org/Innovation to make a donation.
  
Official Notice for the 2016-2017 Council of Regents Elections

The 2016-2017 election process has begun to select new Regents who will serve on the American College of Healthcare Executives Council of Regents-the legislative body that represents ACHE's members. Service is a unique opportunity to exercise your leadership ability, share innovative ideas and act on behalf of other ACHE members. 

All Fellows who wish to run must submit either a letter of intent to ACHE via certified mail postmarked no later than Aug. 26, 2016, or an electronic letter of intent to [email protected]. When submitting the letter, please use this form and return it to the attention of Caitlin E. Stine, Regent Elections Coordinator, Division of Regional Services, American College of Healthcare Executives, 1 N. Franklin St., Ste. 1700, Chicago, IL 60606-3529. If you submit your letter electronically, and you haven't received confirmation that it was acknowledged by Sept. 2, 2016, please contact Caitlin Stine at (312) 424-9324 or [email protected]

Members are assigned to a Regent jurisdiction based on their address. Fellows who are uncertain about their jurisdiction or would like additional information about Regent responsibilities should contact Caitlin Stine. Elections will be held in the following jurisdictions:  Click here to read more!  
  
ACHE Member Communities Launched to Enhance Representation of Asian and LGBT Healthcare Leaders

In support of ACHE's longstanding commitment to advance diversity and inclusion, two new member communities were recently launched to increase and enhance representation of Asian and LGBT healthcare leaders-the Asian Healthcare Leaders Forum and the LGBT Healthcare Leaders Forum. 

The mission of the AHLF is to increase the representation-through leadership and professional development-of Asian-Americans in healthcare executive management, policy and administration. The Forum addresses this mission through targeted benefits designed to provide opportunities for personal and professional growth to AHLF members in various healthcare settings and at all career stages. Benefits include an online newsletter and a special education session at the annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership. More detail and online application are available at ache.org/AHLForum.

The mission of the LGBT Forum is to enhance representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender healthcare executives and to promote high-quality care for LGBT individuals and their families. Value-added benefits address the specific education, networking and career development needs of LGBT healthcare leaders and include a dedicated LinkedIn Group and online newsletter. More detail and online application are available at ache.org/LGBTForum.

The core requirement for both communities is current ACHE membership (Member, Fellow, Faculty and International Associate statuses only). The annual dues fee for each Forum is $100, in addition to regular ACHE dues.
 
2016 Fund for Innovation in Healthcare Leadership Education Programs
 
The 2016 innovation program, "Enhancing the Patient Experience Through Healthcare Innovation," will be led by Jason A. Wolf, PhD, president, The Beryl Institute, Nashville, Tenn. Offered in conjunction with ACHE's New York Cluster on Aug. 5, this half-day session will explore the critical ideas underlying patient experience success from a focus on leadership, culture and people, to the unique ways in which processes are being redesigned, technologies are being implemented and staff are being engaged. Full details are available here.
 
The 2016 ethics program, "Building a Sustainable, Culturally Competent and Equitable Healthcare Organization," will be led by Aswita Tan-McGrory, deputy director, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. You also will hear from a panel of healthcare leaders who have faced ethical challenges and learned from the decisions they made within their organizations. This half-day program will be offered in conjunction with theAtlanta Cluster on Nov. 11. Full details will be available soon at ache.org/Innovation.
 
Both programs qualify for ACHE Face-to-Face Education credits.
 
These programs are funded in part by ACHE's Fund for Innovation in Healthcare Leadership. Your contribution matters. For more information on the Fund for Innovation in Healthcare Leadership, and to donate today, visitache.org/Innovation.

 
Exam Online Community Offers a Complimentary Interactive Learning Platform 



Members preparing for the Board of Governors Examination can access the Exam Online Community-a complimentary and supplementary resource to boost confidence and increase success. The online community is an interactive platform to learn and glean study tips from other Members taking the Exam. There also is the opportunity to discuss Exam topics with experts for a higher level of understanding and the option to participate in study groups. Interested Members can join the Exam Online Community at bogcommunity.ache.org.  
Join the 500+ Members of the ACHE Central Texas Chapter


 Networking O pportunities
Education Seminars
Career Services
and much more...
Download our NEW ACHE Central Texas Mobile App!  Just search "ACHE Central Texas Chapter" in your app store.

After receiving an innovation grant from ACHE National, your Central Texas Chapter went to work to develop a mobile app for our members.  Partnering with Ringful Health, we were able to develop an app that provides easy access to ACHE news, upcoming events & registration, and FACHE steps to advance.

 

Your Chapter leaders will be presenting the new app to National at the Annual Leadership Conference in Chicago on September 29, 2014.   We are hopeful this is just the beginning of mobile technology for ACHE, and we are proud to pioneer the way. 

 

We are the only Chapter in the organization to have this technology.  Take advantage of our FREE app and download it today! 

Welcome to Summer !

  vacation_flipflop.jpg
Message from Your ACHE Regent
Spring 2016
Michael Nowicki, EdD, FACHE, FHFMA

ACHE's Congress on Healthcare Leadership took place March 14-17 in an unusually balmy Chicago with over 4,000 affiliates attending. This year's theme was "Leading Well" and one of the highlights was Amy Walter, the national editor of the Cook Political Report, who discussed the presidential election and its effects on the healthcare industry. Both the Central Texas and the South Texas Chapters received ACHE's Award of Chapter Merit by achieving one of the four award performance standards in 2015. The chapters will receive a certificate and commemorative pins to be distributed to the chapter leadership. Eric Weaver, FACHE, FACMPE, FHIMSS, the President-Elect of the Central Texas Chapter, received the Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award for Young Healthcare Executive of the Year. The Department of Health Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University established the award to recognize early careerists for outstanding achievements in the field of healthcare management. David Perez, Treasurer of the Central Texas Chapter... Click here to read more.
President's Letter
Amanda Frye, MHA
 
Dear Chapter Members,
Greetings Central Texas chapter! I hope everyone is having a great summer so far and enjoying some free time with family and friends when possible. Our chapter remains busy with both hosting and planning events so please check out the schedule to make sure you can join us. We have some great offerings coming up at the end of July and into the early fall.
 
Thank you to those of you who made the time and braved the Austin traffic to attend our Annual Chapter Business Meeting on April 27. We had a productive meeting as well as some fun social networking time. Our board appreciates the input provided by all attendees. For those who were not able to make it, I wanted to share an overview of our chapter strategic plan for the next five years. This plan is organized by the board positions and committee structure which makes up our chapter leadership.
  • Treasurer - Build a position of financial strength to grow and develop the Chapter.
  • Membership - Increase membership and retain the members we have by demonstrating value.
  • Program Development - Deliver meaningful educational events to leaders and offer the maximum allotted amount of 12 hours of ACHE F2F credits to chapter membership.
  • Local Program Council (LPC) - Provide valuable opportunities to specific geography of LPC thereby increasing attendance at all events.
  • Communications - Create consistent communication tools and methods, which enhance members' service experience and add value to all seeking information about the Chapter.
  • Social Networking - Provide high standard networking opportunities for our members and potential members.
We welcome any additional ideas or feedback any of you may have to offer. As always, please make sure you are aware of opportunities to become more involved by maintaining your membership in ACHE, keeping your contact information updated, volunteering to serve (email Dante Ridgell at  [email protected] ) and encouraging friends and colleagues to join.
 
Best wishes for a wonderful 4th of July and rest of your summer!
 
Amanda
Volunteer Committee
Dante Ridgell, MHA


We are working to build a strong volunteer base for our chapter. While there are several ways to offer your time and help, our most common need is helping at events. This includes roles such as wayfinding, greeting, registration and badge distribution, and evaluation surveys. Please take time to regularly check our upcoming events (http://centraltexas.ache.org/x86.xml) and email me if you would like to sign up.

Currently, there are two upcoming chapter events:
  1. ACHE/NFLHE Present: Care Coordination and Telemedicine Strategies in Healthcare
    Thursday, July 28, 2016
    11:30am to 4:30pm
    Texas Hospital Association
    1108 Lavaca Street, Suite 700
    Austin, Texas 78720
     
  2. HFMA/ACHE Summer Institute
    August 25, 2016
    Seton Administrative Offices
    1345 Philomena Street
    Austin, Texas 78723
    More details to follow
In addition to chapter events, there will be several other opportunities to volunteer. Please let me know if you have an interest for specific events, an interest in volunteering on a committee, or an idea for future opportunities to volunteer. I can be reached at [email protected].

Best regards,
Dante Ridgell

Community Health Strategies: Improving the Health Status of Your Community
 
  

On Friday, April 1st, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) hosted the continuing education event, "Improving the Health Status of Your Community". In anticipation of the Dell Medical School's opening, a panel discussion featuring Dr. Richard Friedman, Vice Dean Clinical Affairs, Dell Medical School, Christie Garbey, Senior Vice President, Central Health and Jose Colucci, Director, Research & Development, Dell Medical School Design Institute for Health, was moderated by Valerie Eubert, Policy, Strategy & Development Manager, Health & Human Services Commission.

Kicking off the discussion, Valerie asked the panelists to define the level of commitment within their organizations to improving Travis and Williamson county resident's health status. As the financier for the Community Care Collaboration (CCC), Christie stressed Central Health's mission to improve access and community health for low income and un/underinsured residents. According to Jose, the Design Institute will be researching healthcare service delivery from a patients view in preparation for improvements. Lastly, Dr. Friedman stated that Central Texas needs a "health" system that focuses on prevention and wellness versus acute care. Partnering with organizations within the healthcare continuum, collaborating with community partners, seeking new ways to educate the care team, designing new processes and reimbursement strategies represent ways to achieve this goal.

With a firm understanding of the need to improve the health of the people that this community serves, Valerie inquired how healthcare executives can be involved in this transformation?   Click here to read more. 
Ready to Advance Your Career? 
   
As members of a professional network, you recognize and value the opportunity to advance your career. And what better way to obtain an advantage in a competitive market than by leveraging network resources? The American College of Healthcare Executives offers comprehensive and confidential services at the Career Resource Center to assist you in your pursuit.
Resources to investigate include tools to strategically plan your career. To help you navigate this evolving marketplace, ACHE has developed a unique, interactive and comprehensive tool for planning and managing your career-CareerEDGE®, available as a complimentary benefit to ACHE members. In addition, ACHE has launched a version of CareerEDGE specially designed for Student Associates. CareerEDGE SE features a five-step framework for success, free assessments, career development articles, a placement and salary report, and more.
While career management is key, landing the job is the first step. Click here to read more.
Membership Corner
Beth Booher, MHA

Does anyone remember the character "Mighty Mouse"?  Hopefully some of you are singing the little jingle in your head (or possibly out loud)... "Here I am to save the day!"  Well, I would love to be able to tell you that I have gained the superpowers of Mighty Mouse and that I, alone, could save the day and our Chapter.  But alas... I can't.  I need your help! 
 
In our last quarterly newsletter, I reported a Chapter membership total of 561 members and recently inactive members of only 75.  Unfortunately, our numbers have taken a turn for the worst.  Maybe this is a result of us recently receiving our membership dues statements or maybe some other crazy phenomenon.   However, despite our best efforts, our membership has declined to 472 members and we now have 130 recently inactive members within the last year.  YIKES!
 
So... I'm asking for everyone to find your red cape and hone your superpowers and help support our local Central Texas ACHE Chapter...Click here to read more.
Articles of Interest
Master these 4 Vital Conversations


The conversations you have with employees are critical to building trust, morale and productivity. Grasp them to ensure that your team reaches its full potential.
 
  • Goal-setting discussions. Meet early and often with employees to discuss goals that will challenge them while fulfilling your organization's mission. Work together to set performance standards and deadlines so that employees know exactly what is expected of them.
  • Recognition meetings. Employees should hear directly from you when they are doing something right. Take every opportunity to recognize and praise their good work, especially on tasks that are new and unfamiliar. Reinforce positive performance with specifics, acknowledging the exact contribution they made to the team.
  • Redirection talks. Occasionally, you will have to correct a performance issue or revaluate your team's path. Be prepared to sit down promptly with your employees to outline what's wrong and what needs to change. Remain clear and firm about expectations and consequences.
  • Wrap-up conversations. At the conclusion of an important task or project, meet with your team to discuss success and improvement areas, and to celebrate if appropriate. This approach also is useful when an employee masters a new skill. Let employees know when you appreciate their work, and remind them of how their efforts contribute to the organization's success.
-Adapted from Communication Solutions April 2016 newsletter, www.communicationbriefings.com.
 
Listen with Intent to Strengthen Leadership Skills
Strong listening skills are essential to your success as a leader, but you can't just nod your head in assent when employees and customers are speaking. You must always listen with a purpose so both parties learn something from every conversation. Here are some tips:
  • Study your own listening style and habits. Discover when you're most likely to actively listen. Is it the morning? The end of the day? Are your listening skills better walking through the workplace or in an office with the doors closed? Everyone has their own habits, strengths and gaps. Be aware of yours and play to your strengths.
  • Engage in active listening. Your brain can think faster than anyone can talk. As such, your mind can easily wander while you're supposed to be listening. One way to make sure this doesn't happen is to give your brain something to do: evaluate information, obtain knowledge, understand the person better, etc. Enter into conversations with a specific goal, and then put your brain to work achieving that goal. In other words: Make your brain too busy to wander.
  • Offer continuous feedback. Don't wait until the conversation is finished to respond to what you've heard. When your employee makes a key point, jump in and restate the point to make sure you understand it. Then offer your feedback right then and there. After that, move to the next point. This will keep you involved in the entire conversation and elicit better results from each meeting.
-Adapted from Communication Solutions January 2016 newsletter, www.communicationbriefings.com.

 
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