Welcome to the 2009-2010 Chapter year! In preparing to write this letter I reflected back on the many years during which I have been involved with the New Jersey Chapter of HFMA. From being a committee member, the chair of several committees, a speaker at numerous events, a Director on the Board and eventually an Officer and now President, it has been a wonderful experience each step along the way. HFMA has afforded me the chance to learn, meet hundreds of people and make some lifelong friends. I am honored to be able to serve as President of our Chapter and I appreciate the opportunity that all of you have given me to do so. Together we will keep our Chapter moving forward, continuing to meet the needs of our membership.
First, let me give a hearty congratulation to our immediate Past President, Joe Dobosh, on an exceptional year for our Chapter. Not only did we achieve all possible points on the Chapter Balanced Scorecard administered by National, we also received three individual and one multi-chapter Yerger Awards, a bronze award for Excellence in Education, the Henry Hottum award for Educational Performance Improvement, the silver Award of Excellence for Certification and a bronze Award of Excellence for Member Growth and Retention. This is quite a record that Joe and his entire team achieved. They all deserve a round of applause for their hard work and dedication.
For those of you who are not fully active in the Chapter I strongly encourage you to consider all of the possibilities for involvement. This can be as simple as attending a quarterly meeting or the Annual Institute or becoming a member of one of the many committees and forums that are offered. I can attest to the fact that being active in the Chapter is one of the best, if not the best, way to meet your peers, develop strong and valuable networking ties, and gain a greater understanding of what is going on in our industry. In fact, the theme of the new HFMA national Chair, Catherine Jacobson, is "Making it Count" and this aptly applies to your membership. Take advantage of all that the NJ Chapter and National HFMA have to offer. Make your membership count!
These are tough times for the economy as a whole and healthcare in New Jersey. Our Chapter is not immune to the challenges faced by providers and other healthcare related businesses. We need your support now more than ever and, if I may be so bold, there has never been a more appropriate time for each one of us to seek all of the knowledge and support that can come from immersing yourself in the activities of our Chapter. We provide excellent educational and networking opportunities close to home thereby minimizing many of the costs associated with trips to far away destinations. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
- September Quarterly, September 8th, Woodbridge Hilton
- Annual Institute, October 14 – 16th, Borgata Hotel, Atlantic City
In an effort to assist our membership with planning for the educational programming for the year we will be publishing the education calendar as much in advance as possible. This information will be easily accessible on the Chapter website so keep an eye out for the following events: Advanced Financial Management Webinar Series, which will occur on the Fourth Thursday of every month, Personal Finance Dinner Workshops, North/South free education sessions and the Basic Financial Management Series.
I am excited about this Chapter year even though Joe and his team have set the bar very high. Our objectives this year will be to offer more and improved educational offerings, focus on membership growth and retention, increase participation in the certification program and, most importantly, continue the high level of member satisfaction we have accomplished in the past. I feel confident that our entire leadership team, including committee chairs and co-chairs, committee members and the entire Board, will meet the challenge. We welcome and encourage your participation at all levels and, most of all, thank you for your continued support. Don’t forget, the key objective for all of us is, Making it Count. Hope to see you soon.
Brian P. Sherin, MBA, FHFMA
President of the New Jersey Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association