Key Chapter Leaders
June 2011 - May 2012
President's
Message:
Dear Fellow HFMA Members:
Welcome to the 2011-2012 HFMA fiscal year. Thank you for your continued membership and support of HFMA. I look forward to working with the members, the board of directors, and officers during the upcoming year to continue the success of the Northeast Ohio Chapter.
Speaking of success – I attended the HFMA Annual National Institute in June 2011 and was proud to be from the Northeast Ohio Chapter. Our Chapter won three awards – Gold Award for Membership Growth and Retention, Hottum Award for Education Performance Improvement, and a Yerger Special Recognition Award for the February 2011 Patient Financial Services Program. In addition, the Northeast Ohio Chapter had two of the three winners of the National HFMA Future Financial Leaders Award. The award recognizes those future leaders who provide innovative and exemplary performance resulting in organizational performance improvement. Congratulations to Jill Barber and Kelly Linson from Southwest Community Health System for receiving this award. Finally, as many of you know, National HFMA has performance targets relating to education, membership, certification, financial strength, and other matters for all chapters. Our Chapter achieved 100% during this last fiscal year in meeting these targets. While it is important to celebrate our past successes, I and the other chapter leaders realize that we are taking on a big responsibility to maintain this level of excellence. We will need the continued support and participation of the membership to ensure we continue to achieve this level of success.
As part of planning for the upcoming year, the Chapter officers had the opportunity to meet the National HFMA Chair, Gregory M. Adams, FHFMA. His theme for the fiscal year is “Believe to Achieve.” Following is an excerpt of his comments and explanation of the theme. In health care today, it sometimes seems like we are being asked to do the impossible. The industry is preparing for an influx of millions of newly insured patients in a reform environment where payments are shrinking and expectations around quality are growing. "Believe to Achieve" encompasses the keys to success in this new environment. It reflects the need to believe in your organization's mission and in others who share your dedication to achieving that mission. It means believing in yourself and in your ability to step out of your comfort zone into the new roles and responsibilities required to succeed in the reform era. Last but not least, it means believing in the possibility of a better future. In health care, there have always been naysayers who believe that the problems of the day are just too difficult to overcome. Their voices have been particularly loud, of late. But you can choose to believe that a better future is within reach, and to dedicate your professional life to making that happen. You can only achieve what you believe.
Finally, I want to thank all of you who volunteered your time to Chapter activities over the past year. The fact that you chose to devote part of your time to HFMA indicates the value you perceive in your membership. The strength of any chapter lies in its volunteers. I hope you are able to attend the annual volunteer appreciation outing on August 31, 2011 to celebrate the successes of our Chapter, hear presentations on relevant industry topics, and enjoy a networking round of golf or visit to the spa. We are always looking for members to get involved and continue the long tradition of volunteer service that has been a hallmark of our Chapter for many years. Please don't hesitate to contact me, one of the other Chapter officers or directors, or a committee chair if you are interested in volunteering.
I look forward to a great year and hope to see you at an upcoming HFMA event.Susan R. Flaherty, CPA
President
Partner
Ernst & Young, LLP
925 Euclid Avenue, 1300 Huntington
Cleveland, OH 44115-1486
Phone: 216-583-1376
susan.flaherty@ey.com