In October 2022, a member of the CAHL Communications Committee, Lieutenant Kionna Myles FACHE, joined the select group of CAHL members who have passed the Board of Governors Exam in Healthcare Management. Kionna, who is a member of the United States Navy, prepared via the BOG prep courses offered by CAHL.
We thank Kionna for her service.
Kionna shared her thoughts on studying for this elite credential, which demonstrates ACHE members’ industry knowledge and their deep commitment to ongoing personal development, as well as to the teams and organizations they lead.
How do you see the FACHE credential helping you as a healthcare leader in the future?
As a Healthcare Administrator, earning the FACHE credential will maximize my professional potential by showing future employers I am committed to the field, and that I have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to help catapult the organization in achieving their objectives. Ultimately, I desire to pursue roles in Executive Leadership with an overarching goal of pursuing a role as a CEO. As the gold standard for healthcare management, attaining board certification will allow me to leverage my credential as an invaluable facet of my professional portfolio.
What advice do you have for members who are on the fence about pursuing the FACHE credential?
The best advice I have is to do your research and ensure the credential aligns with your career objectives. In other words, ensure the credential is “right for you” and figure out your “why.” ACHE provides a breadth of opportunities to network with credentialed leaders who would be willing to share their experiences. Sometimes, hearing the benefits of the credential from others also helps put the importance of the FACHE credential into perspective.
Could you share a helpful insight or learning that you got from the BOG prep sessions that you wouldn’t have had without them?
The BOG prep sessions provided a great foundation and covered the basics of each knowledge area.
What surprised you along the way as you were preparing for the BOG?
It is a lot of information to dissect, but once you break down each section and establish a schedule, it is a lot easier to retain.
What suggestions do you have for learning from peers at work and within ACHE that might not be obvious to someone just starting this process?
I think it is beneficial to ask your peers how they prepared for the exam. Learning how my peers prepared for the exam allowed me to put things into perspective and develop an actionable way forward that worked for me.
Share with us your most helpful study tip
My most useful study tip is to ensure you are organized. I created a folder on my personal drive entitled “FACHE Prep” and subfolders for each knowledge area. Each week, I went through a different knowledge area by following the ACHE BOG Tutorial. The ACHE Bog Tutorial provides videos, supplemental reading material and practice questions. I took notes from the videos, studied these notes, reviewed the FACHE flashcards, and took the practice tests from the tutorial. There are ten sections, so I studied five days a week, two hours a day, for ten weeks and established two weeks for a final review.
How did CAHL and the BOG sessions help in your preparation?
CAHL and the BOG sessions provided a solid foundation that helped me better understand the material. In addition, I was able to learn about additional resources ACHE offered.
What other resources do you recommend to people on this path?
ACHE BOG Tutorial, A Well Managed Healthcare book, and the FACHE flashcards.