As we wind our way through the holidays and approach the New Year, we all eagerly anticipate an improved economic outlook. The last year has been a challenge for all of us and our Chapter has made every effort to provide a wide range of educational opportunities to the membership to help navigate the troubled waters that we have been experiencing. I hope that you have been able to take advantage of these and I encourage you to monitor our Chapter website and the weekly Pulse email to see upcoming events.
We are nearly half way through the Chapter year and we will continue to be dedicated to providing excellent educational forums into 2010. Our next quarterly meeting will take place during the second week of January and will once again be a joint effort with the NJ Chapter of AAHAM, with the Patient Financial Services and Patient Access committees taking the lead on the HFMA side. Come join your peers for our largest quarterly meeting of the year. In addition, a Medicare Cost Report seminar will also be offered in January and a session addressing the numerous implications of ICD-10 will take place in the Spring. The March quarterly meeting will take place on March 9, 2010. The always popular annual HFMA Golf Outing is scheduled for May 13, 2010. Mark your calendars now.
I want to take this opportunity to thank our 2009 Institute Committee Co-Chairs, Tony Consoli and Deb Shapiro, as well as the entire Institute Committee, for an incredible job in putting together this excellent three-day event which took place in October. With its mix of varied educational programming and networking venues, the Institute received wonderful reviews, and rightfully so. Our Institute is something to be proud of in that it is one for the premiere events offered by any Chapter of HFMA in the country. I also want to extend a grateful thank you to all of our participating sponsors, speakers and vendors who provided both financial and intellectual support. Without each of them our Institute would not be possible. To all those who attended, your participation is greatly appreciated and we hope to see you back next year.
All of our Committees and Forums continue to meet to support the Chapter, provide an environment for the sharing of industry information and develop timely educational programs. Those volunteers that administer our committees deserve thanks from all of us for their commitment of time and effort. To make the most of your membership I encourage you to participle in a committee of most interest to you (see the Chapter website http://www.hfmanj.org for more info). I guarantee that you will benefit from the learning and networking you will enjoy through committee participation.
Our Membership Committee continues to work towards growing, and expanding the breadth of, our membership. Top notch educational sessions that are free to members, and offered to non-members at low registration fees which include membership for the remainder of the Chapter year, have been provided and will continue to be offered. These sessions are a terrific way for non-members to get to know us. I ask for your support in spreading the word about the value of HFMA membership to your friends and coworkers in the industry. No other national organization offers the benefits to healthcare finance professionals as does HFMA. This, coupled with the fact that the NJ Chapter continues to excel in serving its membership, provides for a prime opportunity to meet the professional educational and growth needs of healthcare finance professionals. Talk it up and encourage non-members to check us out.
Thanks to you for being a member of the New Jersey Chapter of HFMA. Each and every member enhances our organization and makes us stronger. I wish you the best and happiest of holidays and a New Year comprised of progress and accomplishment.
Brian P. Sherin, MBA, FHFMA
President of the New Jersey Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association