Central Texas ACHE Quarterly Newsletter
Q1 2017 - In This Issue:
Regent's Message
Michael Nowicki, EdD, FACHE, FHFMA

Congratulations again to this year's Regent Award Winners:

Cristian Lieneck, PhD, FACHE
David Shimp, FACHE
Maria Serafine
David A. Tapia, FACHE
The awards were presented at the Horace Cardwell ACHE Affiliates Breakfast during the THA Annual Conference & Expo at the Austin JW Marriott.  Ed Lamb, ACHE Chair, gave an entertaining presentation on his exploits as a hospital CEO in Alaska to a crowded room including several past THA and ACHE chairs. U.S. Senator John Cornyn and Executive Commissioner Charles Smith talked about the Medicaid waiver at the closing lunch and Matthew Dowd provided commentary on the great disruption in American and Texas politics.
 
And congratulations to the South Texas Chapter.  The chapter leadership was presented with two awards at this year's Congress on Healthcare Leadership: the Chapter Merit Award and the Sustained Performance Award. Chuck Stokes, COO at Houston's Herman Hospital in Chair of ACHE talked a lot about medical error, the third leading cause of death in the United States behind cancer and heart disease, and ways to make hospital quality more reliable.
 
And don't forget to mark your calendars for these upcoming events: the South Texas ACHE education event on April 28 from 11:30 - 5:00 worth 3.0 F2F; the Central Texas ACHE/NFLHE joint education event on April 20 from 12-5 for 3.0 F2F; and a Central Texas BOG exam prep course on April 21 from 1-4.  For the education events, please check the respective websites for registration information; for the exam prep course, please let me know if you would like to attend.
 
Have a great Spring and I hope to see you at ACHE events!
President's Letter
Eric Weaver, DHA, MHA, FACHE

Colleagues,

In my first letter to you as ACHE Central Texas Chapter, I want to congratulate last year's Board of Directors led by our former president, Amanda Frye.  I also want to acknowledge the successful efforts made by our other chapter leaders who work tirelessly to foster the professional development of our members through education and networking opportunities.

Going forward in this new term, our Board will have our work cut out for us. As the healthcare industry evolves to reflect the outgrowth of alternate payment models and other regulatory forces, ACHE Central Texas Chapter must continually assess how to remain relevant to its members in this changing healthcare landscape. I would like to build on the foundation laid for us by other leaders who have served in our 29-year history. However, I also want us to adapt to industry changes so that we can better position our organization to be on the forefront of value-based care.

As the incoming President of ACHE Central Texas Chapter, I also see an opportunity for us to better resonate with younger professionals and to become more inclusive of healthcare executives in other organizations outside of the hospital setting.  Our newly-elected Board discussed this, and other important strategic goals, at our Annual Board Planning Retreat last month.  Important priorities for this year are C-Suite engagement, advancement of members to Fellow, net membership growth, and a more advanced social media presence.
In the years ahead, we have set our sights on national recognition.  We recently received praise from ACHE President and CEO Deborah Bowen for our high marks last year in member satisfaction. This accomplishment, along with others in the near future, will set the path for our chapter to compete in the ACHE Chapter Management and Awards Program in 2018.

Thank you all for your support and commitment to our profession.  Please let me know how we can improve our chapter to better serve our members.
Best Regards,


Eric Weaver, DHA, MHA, FACHE
President
Central Texas Chapter ACHE

LPC Update
On March 2nd, we had three of our members take part in the Dr. Suess Reading Day at Ray-Allen Elementary School through the United Way. The community service event involved our members reading to children ranging from kindergarten to 5th grade. A special thank you to them for taking the time out of there schedules to do some community service.

Thank you to those who participated in our social networking event that was held on March 9th. We look forward to continuing to hold these events.

Please save the date for our upcoming F2F event that is being planned for Friday, May 31st from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Baylor Scott and White - Hillcrest in Waco. More information to come!
Membership Updates

Members who recently passed the Board of Governors Exam:
January
  Esther Y. Chung, FACHE, Austin
  Kevin M. Denmark, FACHE, Austin
  Robert Millette, FACHE, Belton
February
  LTC James H. Hayes, FACHE, Harker Heights
March
  Kimberly A. Lee, FACHE, Buda

New Members:
January
  Stephen Maher, Round Rock
  Joseph McElmurry, Austin
  LTC Michael Mohammadi, Georgetown
February
  Lori B. Bender, Driftwood
  Brittney L. Cini, Liberty Hill
  CPT Christopher M. Howell, Salado
  Misty Rowlison, Austin
March
  Wesley Bryan, Waco
  Amanda Phillips, San Marcos
 
Recertified Fellows:
January
  Debbie D. Cox, FACHE, San Marcos
  Cristian H. Lieneck, PhD, FACHE, Austin
February
  Debra T. Hernandez, RN, FACHE, Clayton
  Jeffrey Lyle, FACHE, Belton
  David Shimp, FACHE, Austin
March
  Marc Biehl, FACHE, Round Rock
  Terrie L. Hairston, RN, FACHE, Round Rock
  Laurie K. Huard, FACHE, Lakeway
  Eric S. Weaver, FACHE, Austin

ACHE Social/Networking Event
Dogwood at the Domain - March 29, 2017



Articles of Interest

6 Ways to Boost Alignment and Improve Strategy Execution

Developing an efficient and innovative new strategy can be challenging, but not nearly as challenging as aligning people in an organization to successfully execute that strategy, according to a recent Harvard Business Review article. Summarized below are six steps to help your leadership team boost alignment and create focus around the "highest-impact actions that will drive the organization's most important outcomes."
  1. Define the one most important outcome. Identifying the most important thing your team hopes to accomplish in the next 12 months will help clarify your next steps.
  2. Distinguish the most essential people. Your strategy may require a team effort, but it's also crucial to recognize whose job is most essential to achieving the organization's goal. Doing so will help focus leaders' efforts and resources.
  3. Have key players pinpoint their primary contribution. Similar to how your team should identify one outcome, your key people should identify their one pivotal strength related to the strategy and their one key contribution. Simplicity is a must when it comes to maintaining momentum.
  4. Conduct coaching sessions. Leaders should have "laser-focused, 30-minute one-on-one coaching sessions" to ensure headway is being made and progress is on track.
  5. Gather and report data. Coaching sessions give leaders the chance to collect data on trends and organizational obstacles team members are facing. Sharing data with the previously identified key people can help drive priorities forward.
  6. Enhance performance. Have the key contributors fill out surveys on how the organization's key strategy is progressing and whether they feel the 30-minute coaching sessions are valuable or effective. This information can help leaders improve their strategy execution.
Adapted from " Execution Is a People Problem, Not a Strategy Problem ," by Peter Bregman, Harvard Business Review, Jan. 4, 2017. 
The Social Side of Emotional Intelligence: Bad Habits to Avoid
Recent studies show likability can be traced back to a few social skills such as sincerity, transparency and understanding. According to Travis Bradberry, author of the best-selling book Emotional Intelligence 2.0, people with high emotional intelligence often possess such skills. They also tend to avoid the following bad behaviors, which can make you unlikeable:
  • Humble-bragging and self-deprecation
  • Being too serious or unsociable
  • Not asking enough questions during a conversation
  • Emotional instability, e.g., throwing things, screaming, etc.
  • Using your phone while interacting with people
  • Name-dropping to seem important or interesting
  • Gossiping
  • Being close-minded
  • Over-sharing personal information or problems
"When you build your awareness of how your actions are received by other people, you pave the way to becoming more likable," wrote Bradberry.

-Adapted from " 7 Things Wildly Successful People Do Before 7:30 A.M. ," by Travis Bradberry, Forbes.com, Jan. 24, 2017. 

National News
New Websites for the
Journal of Healthcare Management and
Frontiers

ACHE's publishing division, Health Administration Press, has recently partnered with Wolters Kluwer, a global leader in professional information services and the publisher of more than 300 health-related journals. The partnership will expand digital distribution of ACHE's journals to academic libraries and healthcare institutions, as well as implement best-in-class journal practices that will enhance search capabilities and online discoverability through Wolters Kluwer's Ovid database platform.
 
New websites for the Journal of Healthcare Management and Frontiers of Health Services Management were launched in January and include a more robust catalog of archived content. The full run of back issues for Frontiers is currently available, and the complete archive for JHM will be developed throughout 2017. Previously, the digital editions for both journals were only available from 2006 to present day.
 
Digital conversion of the full run of both journals will not only extend the content available to ACHE members, it will also preserve important historical resources and perspectives for the field of healthcare administration as a whole.
 
As an added benefit of the partnership, ACHE members now will have digital access to both JHM and Frontiers. Previously, digital access had been limited to one journal of the member's choice. Members who currently receive a print copy of a journal will continue to do so under the new partnership.
 
Members may visit the new journal websites at ache.org/Journals. You will be prompted to log in with your ACHE credentials. Choose the journal you want to view, and you will be redirected to the new sites. The new sites feature a responsive design and are easily viewed on mobile devices.
 
Healthcare Executive magazine will continue to be available in the current digital format at ache.org/Publications and in the digital publications app. For more information about the partnership with Wolters Kluwer, your online access, or your print subscription, please contact HAP at hapbooks@ache.org. 

ACHE Executive/Senior Executive Program

The ACHE Executive/Senior Executive Program prepares mid-level to senior healthcare leaders for complex environments and new challenges. Past participants have included senior or executive directors, vice presidents, COOs, CNOs and CFOs-many of whom aspire to become a CEO. 
 
The program's locations and dates are as follows:
  • Chicago (June 5-7)
  • San Diego (Aug. 14-16)
  • Orlando, Fla. (Oct. 30-Nov. 1) 
Participants must attend all three sessions in each city. Participants grow professionally in a supportive learning environment over the course of three multiday sessions. The Senior Executive Program is tailored for senior leaders, providing them with an opportunity to gain skills in decision making, problem solving and team building. The program features three primary focus areas: "Charting Your Leadership Course," "Leading the Value-Ready Healthcare Enterprise" and "Guiding Enterprisewide Change."  
 
Enrollment is limited to 30 healthcare executives. A limited number of scholarships are available for individuals whose organizations lack the resources to fully fund their tuition. For more information, contact Catie L. Russo, program specialist, Division of Professional Development, ACHE, at (312) 424-9362, or visit ache.org/SeniorExecutive or ache.org/Executive .

Board of Governors Exam Fee Waiver Campaign: March 1 - June 30
The Board of Governors Exam fee waiver promotion allows eligible ACHE Members to save $200 when they submit their Fellow application between March 1 and June 30, 2017.
 
* Eligible Members must submit their completed Fellow application, $250 application fee and meet all requirements-including the three years of ACHE membership tenure and five years of healthcare management experience-by June 30 to receive approval to take the Board of Governors Exam. Pending application approval, ACHE will waive the $200 Board of Governors Exam fee.

For more information on recent changes to the application process requirements, go to ache.org/FACHE .  
ACHE Call for Nominations for Regent-at-Large

The ACHE Board of Governors is calling for applications to serve as Regent-at-Large in Districts 2, 3, 4 and 5 beginning March 2018. ACHE Fellows are eligible for Regent-at-Large vacancies within their district. 
  • District 2 consists of the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

  • District 3 consists of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
  • District 4 consists of Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
  • District 5 consists of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
The primary purpose of the Regents-at-Large positions is to promote in ACHE governance a more diverse representation relative to race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. The responsibilities of the Regent-at-Large, including suggested knowledge, skills and experience, are included in the position description posted at ache.org/RegentAtLarge. Appointments will be made by the Board of Governors in November 2017. Candidates should not directly contact members of the Board of Governors to request letters of support.
 
Fellows from Districts 2, 3, 4 and 5 may apply to serve by sending a letter (see specifications below) via U.S. mail postmarked between Jan. 1 and July 15 to Caitlin E. Stine, American College of Healthcare Executives, 1 N. Franklin St., Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60606-3529.
 
Materials can also be sent via email to cstine@ache.org or faxed to (312) 424-2836. All candidates will be listed in the Member Center of ache.org under the heading "Regent-at-Large Declared Candidates." Any candidate not listed by July 31 should contact Caitlin E. Stine immediately. If prospective candidates have any questions about the application process, they should also contact Caitlin E. Stine.
 
Application specifications : To be considered, applications must include:
  • A statement, in the form of a letter, by the candidate that addresses his or her qualifications for the position, including the demographic characteristics, knowledge, skills and experience.
  • A professional resume of education and work experience.
Candidates may include up to two letters of support for their candidacy. Letters of support may not be solicited from current members of the ACHE Board of Governors.
A Special Thanks to our Chapter Sponsors!



Make your service or product visible to over 500 healthcare leaders
Thank you to our sponsors for their support of our events and initiatives to create effective healthcare leaders throughout Central Texas. Call today to learn more about the benefits of being a Sponsor. 
Director of Sponsorship: Deborah Munhoz  512-591-8717