ACHE's Governance Changes

We are bringing ACHE to our affiliates at the local level.

(From "Perspectives," by Thomas C. Dolan, PhD, FACHE, CAE, president and chief executive officer of ACHE, in the May/June 2003 issue of Healthcare Executive)

As I talk with other ACHE affiliates and visit their organizations, I am often struck by how dramatically things have changed during my 30 years in the healthcare management field. For example, people entering the profession tended to start at higher levels in the organization than they do today. In addition, healthcare organizations tended to have more time and money available for their executives to participate in continuing professional education in national settings.

Clearly, though, things have changed, and ACHE must respond to those changes. That is why we formed the 2000-2001 Governance Task Force and the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 Governance Implementation Task Forces.

The Governance Task Force kicked off these efforts by working with an outside consultant to conduct an audit of ACHE's official documents and materials, as well as our leadership and governance structures. The group also interviewed the presidents of many of ACHE's local affiliated groups; members of Regents Advisory Councils; and past, current and prospective affiliates. The Task Force used the data gathered from this expansive study to develop recommendations, which became the basis for the activities of the Governance Implementation Task Forces.

Since the recommendations were submitted, the Implementation Task Forces have worked with ACHE leadership to make some significant changes to ACHE's governance structure. These changes have included the transfer of some powers from the 108-member Council of Regents to the 13-member Board of Governors, to make the organization more nimble and able to respond to changes in the field more quickly. Additionally, the term of service for Governors and Regents was shortened from four years to three years, providing more opportunities for affiliates to serve in a governing role.

Perhaps the most significant undertaking that resulted from the 2000-2001 study is the development of ACHE local chapters. Currently, ACHE has a large number of local affiliated groups, known as healthcare executive groups and women's healthcare executive networks. However, these groups have an informal relationship with ACHE, and they vary widely in their ability to provide quality programming and events and to recruit and retain members.

Because the 2000-2001 Task Force found that many ACHE affiliates want and need more professional development events offered at the local level, the group recommended that ACHE explore the idea of creating chapters, so that the national organization could assist in providing such programs.

During the last year and a half, ACHE and 15 of our current affiliated groups participated in a demonstration project, in which we worked closely with the leadership of these groups to determine what type of support and services chapters would require of the national organization. Participants in the demonstration project also worked to develop the terms for a formal relationship between the national organization and the local chapters. In addition, ACHE staff developed a wide range of products and services that will allow the national organization to assist local chapters in providing timely, high-quality educational and career development programs to their members.

The result of all of these efforts is the "Partners for Success" Chapter Deployment Project, which was launched in February. This project is ACHE's concentrated effort to establish local chapters throughout the United States during 2003. Our goal with this project is to ensure that every United States-based ACHE affiliate has the opportunity to join and participate in a local ACHE chapter.

Because of the outstanding local services that will be provided through these new chapters, I strongly recommend that every affiliate join their local chapter. You can get a head start by joining your local affiliated group now; for more information on groups in your area, click here.

ACHE Governance Vision: The American College of Healthcare Executives continually strives to meet affiliates' growing needs and to enhance its value to the profession. With the establishment of local chapters, ACHE will have the infrastructure to deliver networking, education, and career service opportunities on a local level. In doing so, ACHE can better address both local and national healthcare management needs, enhancing the benefits it offers to today's healthcare executives.