05 Executive Summary
IDAHO CHAPTER
HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2005-2006
by Sandy Dryden, President
Each year, the Idaho Chapter HFMA Board of Directors dedicates a meeting to discuss and formalize, in a Strategic Plan, the goals for the chapter for the next year. With this summary, I share with the membership, our chapter’s 2005-2006 Strategic plan. The full Strategic Plan is available to all who visit the Idaho Chapter HFMA website: idahohfma.org.
Membership
In the Idaho chapter we have 149 members; a small chapter in comparison to others in the nation. Each individual is important. We have seen an increase with membership over the last few years; we would love to see more! We have achieved awards for increasing membership four out of the last five years. That is a sign that we are a chapter that gives value to our membership and people want to be a part of this vital organization. We make sure that new members feel welcome and retain existing members by offering valuable experiences. We promote networking opportunities to allow members to become and stay connected. We also want to encourage HFMA Certification as an educational tool and an illustration of a member’s proficiency in their field. Michele Marcum is our chapter contact for members that want to know more about certification. She is certified herself and can mentor any member on how to achieve certification. Also, our chapter offers financial assistance to members that take and pass the certification tests.
Education
Choosing relevant educational topics and presenters is priority for our board as the main service to our members. We strive to offer top quality, affordable programs. Our president elect is our program chair and works hard to develop useful educational programs. This year’s president elect is Calvin Carey, from Madison Memorial. He chooses educational topics and speakers from input provided from our program attendees, our survey, and ideas from the board and membership. Current industry and state/regional issues are constantly evaluated when developing educational programming.
Participation
Teamwork is an essential component to a volunteer run organization such as ours. We know that we can become an even more vital chapter by utilizing the energies and talent of our broad-based membership. National HFMA has changed the Founder’s Awards program that recognizes points for leadership and active roles rather than merely attending the program. It is a fun honor to receive a Founders Award so be prepared to volunteer or accept an invitation to take an active role in a program, activity, or leadership!
Chapter Operations
As financial professionals ourselves, the board wants to make sure that our chapter continues to be financially sound. We want to make sure that all financial needs are satisfied and still offer affordable educational opportunities. It is a goal to develop policies that ensure awareness of our financial situation and give the Treasurer direction needed to do the job. Our current Treasurer, Susan Colburn will be assisting in creating policies to direct future chapter Treasurers.
Chapter Communications
We are striving to make a newsletter with substance, not fluff. Chris Brazil, from QUE has stepped up to the plate to fill the position of newsletter chair. With input from quality sources we will produce a quality newsletter to connect with our members and associates with relevant and interesting information. We also offer a chapter website (idahohfma.org) that includes all kinds of information about our chapter; check it out. Calvin Carey and Michele Marcum maintain our website.
Sponsorship
Sponsors of our chapter provide support to serve the membership in all the above stated activities. Sponsors are active in volunteering in chapter activities and give generously to financially support our chapter. It is our intention to provide a valuable experience for our sponsors and encourage various ways for sponsors to participate. Carla Terry, past President, and the sponsorship committee has done an excellent job in fostering sponsorship and making sure that our sponsors are duly recognized. You can link to our sponsors’ websites from our website (idahohfma.org) to learn more about them.
Quality
We strive to offer quality in our chapter. A survey assessment done in 2004 showed that membership was very satisfied with the chapter overall. We do not take quality for granted and will conduct another survey early in 2006 to assess where our member’s needs lie.
In Summary
The Board of Directors for the Idaho Chapter of HFMA is very proud of the continued progress the chapter has made. We attribute this progress to a very active and talented membership as well as our strategic planning efforts. As individuals we have formed relationships, both personal and professional, which benefit ourselves and our Chapter. However, this strength, when extended, can be our biggest weakness. We need to include more members, make new members feel at home, and give our members a reason to participate in HFMA activities. Keeping our momentum going is not something that chapter leaders take lightly.
As we prepare for a challenging future in health care financial management, our continual goal will be to stay focused on our core mission, communicate clearly, and step forward on all issues that impact our membership.