In this challenging economy, healthcare professionals now more than ever need to focus on their professional development. Building on career skills, acquiring the knowledge needed to lead their organizations through the changes that lie ahead and networkingimportant at any time in ones careerare even more crucial when the times get tough. They also are just some of the benefits of joining a professional association.
Association members are, overall, more successful than their nonmember counterparts, according to recent research by the William E. Smith Institute for Association Research, which is funded by SmithBucklin. The study, titled
Where the Winners Meet, revealed that association members earn more, like their jobs more and are happier people.
The research also indicated the reverse relationshipthat being successful at ones job increases the likelihood that an individual will join an association. So, one might say that associations are where successful people (or “the winners”) meet.
Incredible networking opportunities with other successful people are just one of the many benefits of association membership. Professional associations also offer their members a variety of products and services, including continuing education opportunities and career-building tools.
For more than 75 years, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) has worked to help its members focus on their professional development and improve the field of healthcare management. ACHEs membership base of more than 30,000 brings together a community of healthcare management professionals from a variety of settings who face similar challenges. A large segment of these members are C-suite executives in hospitals and healthcare settings.
One way ACHE helps these healthcare leaders professional development is through its educational programming, including in-person seminars, e-learning options such as webinars and its annual Congress on Healthcare Leadershipone of the worlds largest gatherings of healthcare leaders.
These programs honor ACHEs commitment to lifelong learning while providing exceptional networking opportunities for members. In addition, ACHEs 82 chapters bring educational programming and networking opportunities locally to members. In this area, the local chapter is the South Florida Healthcare Executive Forum, Inc..
Additional learning opportunities come in the form of ACHEs magazine,
Healthcare Executive, and its two journals, the
Journal of Healthcare Management and Frontiers of Health Services Management. Members receive the magazine and their choice of journal as part of their membership benefits. Also adding to this body of knowledge is ACHEs publishing division, Health Administration Press, and its Research arm, which produces several important studies of interest to healthcare leaders, including the annual
Futurescan: Healthcare Trends and Implications. Through these publications, ACHE can provide leaders with practical solutions to some of todays most challenging healthcare concerns.
ACHE supports its members career growth through its Healthcare Executive Career Resource Center (HECRC), which includes features such as an online Job Bank and Resume Bank. These and other resources help members manage their current jobs and prepare for their next career opportunities.
Associations with a credentialing program provide an even bigger advantage to their members. Adding a professional credential to ones name helps distinguish that individual from the crowda valuable asset during an increasingly competitive job market.
ACHEs FACHE® credentialsignifying board certification in healthcare managementis an important next step in the career advancement of healthcare executives. Having the FACHE credential after their names demonstrates these leaders competence, dedication to the field and commitment to lifelong learningall valuable assets for any professional to have. In fact, more than 40 executive search firms agreed that when they interview candidates for executive leadership positions, those who are board certified in healthcare management have a significant advantage over those who are not.
An association also can serve as a guidepost for ethical and professional conduct within the field it serves. ACHE has a Code of Ethics each member must adhere to, helping ensure integrity in the field, and a number of ethics tools to help members use ethical decision making throughout their organizations. In addition, we offer Professional Policy Statements addressing issues and challenges pertinent to the field.
Through these benefits, healthcare management professionals can advance their knowledge and skills, making them more effective leaders.
