It's amazing to think that the 2011-2012 NJ HFMA Chapter year has already begun!
As Mary Taylor passes the torch to me I know that I am following a line of past presidents that have taken the New Jersey chapter to level where it is today. It was under the leadership of Mary Taylor, Brian Sherin, Joe Dobosh, Cheryl Cohen, and Dotti Lindstrom and the leadership teams that they built that the NJ Chapter was able to be recognized nationally as the2011 recipient of the Robert M. Shelton Award for Sustained Chapter Excellence.
Greg Adams, a former NJ Chapter President and great friend of the chapter, was sworn in as the HFMA National Chair at the end of June. His theme for the year, Believe to Achieve is very appropriate for our chapter. As a team, the board, committee chairs, co-chairs, and members all believed that NJ could be and should be recognized as a “Shelton Chapter” based on everything that it provides for the membership.
At a chapter leadership retreat held in May, even before knowing that we were the recipient of National's highest award, the board and incoming committee chairs and co-chairs were all in agreement that to show excellence to the membership the chapter must listen to its members and respond to their needs while recognizing and appreciating the efforts of every volunteer.
Under Lindsey Colombo and Vicky McElarney's leadership we created a Revenue Integrity Committee whose goals are to address issues and share best practices on Revenue Cycle and charge capture topics that are not otherwise addressed by the other HFMA committees. There were close to 50 people either on the phone in in person at a recent committee meeting held at Raritan Bay Medical Center
With Scott Mariani, Lisa Hartman, and Mike DiFranco at the helm, the FACT Committee (Finance, Accounting, Capital and Tax) is changing its focus to be able to provide more educational updates and time for idea sharing between committee members.
The Member Services and Networking Committee will be looking to grow the chapter by focusing on the value of HFMA membership for organizations and looking to colleges and universities to help meet the needs of upcoming healthcare financial managers.
HFMA Certification will be another focus this year. Last year we had 8 members become certified or achieve the level of Fellow in HFMA. Under the revised certification process, members will only need to take one exam to become designated as a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP). Watch for information about the upcoming certification coaching course.
Last summer the Board approved a Member Recognition Program that recognizes those who step up within the organization with complementary registration to the NJ Annual Institute. Now is the time to get certified or get involved with an HFMA committee, speak at an HFMA educational event, or write articles for the Focus Magazine.
This year's Annual Institute is going to have something for everyone. We're packing 19 ½ CPEs into 2 ½ days of education while looking to expand the networking opportunities and the time available to spend among our sponsors and exhibitors. You will find more on the 35th Annual Institute later in this issue of the Focus.
I can't recall if it was stated by an ancient philosopher or something out of a fortune cookie that Brian Sherin gave me one night, but somewhere I read "Your present plans are going to succeed." I am going to take those words to heart realizing that my plans for the continued growth and success for the NJ Chapter cannot be done by one person alone. I along with the rest of the chapter leaders Believe to Achieve.
Welcome to a new year.
Mike Alwell, FHFMA