By CAHL President, Kelly Brian Flannery, MHA, FACHE
As we bid adieu to 2022 and ring in 2023, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and share my vision for the coming year and the great work the California Association of Healthcare Leaders (CAHL) Board of Directors is planning in support of our members. CAHL successfully closed 2022 under the leadership of our Immediate Past President Michael O’Connell and our American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Regent Philip Chuang – a heartfelt thank you to both gentlemen for their friendship, professionalism, guidance, and support to the board and our chapter this past year. I am equally grateful for CAHL’s 2022 Board of Directors and all the committee volunteers who gave their time and expertise to further our chapter mission of “advancing our members by providing world-class lifelong professional growth through local educational programming, networking, and mentoring.”
The axiom that change is inevitable applies to all facets of life, including healthcare management and the CAHL Board of Directors! Change is welcomed, is sometimes necessary, and should be embraced for growth and success. The 2023 CAHL Board of Directors includes many seasoned volunteers, as well as several new faces on the board. I would like to welcome our newest board members who will be leading committees throughout the year: Corina Clark, Jennie Rowell, McKenna Zoucha, Trina White, Samanta Lal, Ryan Degive, Jeremy Hough, Liz DeForest, Nwando Eze, Christianna Kearns, and Shasta Addessi. Members continuing in committee leadership roles are Rachel McKinney, Michael Dacoco, Thu Nguyen, Nathan Kellett, Jackeline Rosas, Sarah Khan, and Tiffany Johnson. CAHL Board Officers this year are Kelly Flannery, Michael O’Connell, Nikhil Singal, Navpreet Atwal, and Abraham Cicchetti; and completing the Executive Committee are Tamara Dilbeck (Chapter Administrator), Philip Chuang (ACHE Regent), and Bonnie Panlasigui (ACHE Regent at Large). Additional information on these exceptional healthcare leaders and their committees are included elsewhere in this publication.
Part of our success as an independent chapter of the ACHE requires forward thinking as part of strategic and operational planning activities. My vision for 2023 began in October of 2022 when that year’s Executive Committee started discussing board orientation and planning events for the transition into the new year. Leveraging my years of planning knowledge and experience within the Department of Veterans Affairs – Veterans Health Administration, I began conceptualizing our approach to planning with the intent to streamline the process while ensuring relevance and clarity for the board and our members at large.
Our starting point was identifying CAHL’s True North Pillars. An organization’s True North is essentially its philosophical and strategic purpose or vision. For 2023, that entails:
- Member Satisfaction
- Personal Growth
- Education and Training
- Engagement and Networking
- Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Professional Development
- Mentorship Excellence
- Chapter Growth and Integrity
- Affiliate Collaboration and Growth
- Corporate Responsibility.
With our True North in hand, the next step for ensuring our success in 2023 included drafting CAHL Goals that are relevant yet broad enough to encompass the activities and products of committees with distinct programs.
- Our first goal is to effectively respond to the needs of CAHL’s membership – our members are our greatest asset!
- Our second goal is to promote the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the products and services offered by CAHL. We are extremely proud of our comprehensive Diversity and Inclusion Statement that reflects the heterogeneity of the chapter’s area of operations.
- Our third goal is to increase the advancement of our eligible members through formal mentorship and structured Board of Governors Exam preparation opportunities.
- Our fourth goal is to retain our membership by way of increasing marketing, outreach, and events throughout the year.
- Our fifth goal relates to committees providing education, engagement, and networking opportunities with increased attendance that are strategically, geographically, and equitably located throughout the chapter.
- Our sixth and final goal is to encourage entrants into the healthcare management field by promoting academic affiliations and scholarship opportunities throughout CAHL’s geographic network, as well as annually increasing our student membership.
Collectively, these six goals provide guidance and a baseline framework for our committees’ work toward CAHL’s True North Pillars.
The publication of this message coincides with our winter season here in central and northern California and we must remain vigilant to the triple virus threat (influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus) our organizations need to prepare for and respond to as part of universal healthcare missions to patient health, treatment, safety, and overall well-being. COVID is still with us; please continue taking care of yourselves and loved ones. The reduced masking requirements outside of our healthcare organizations has afforded us with some degree of pre-pandemic normalcy and enjoyment while engaging with each other, most notably in person. A few of our in-person events returned last year and we will slowly increase these offerings in 2023 as interest and venues permit.
I look forward to the board and our committee volunteers exceeding expectations by providing exceptional networking, educational, mentoring, advancement to fellowship, and professional development opportunities for CAHL’s healthcare leaders throughout the year. Serving as your 2023 CAHL President is an honor and I truly look forward to a great year for our chapter! Please feel free to contact me and share your thoughts at any time.