Here comes the sun - 1996 accomplishments of the Healthcare Financial Management Association

Healthcare Financial Management, May, 1997 by Richard L. Clarke

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting.

Little darling, It seems like years since it's been clear.

Here comes the sun. Here comes the sun And I say, It's alright.(*)

- George Harrison

To many HFMA members, it may seem like it's been years since it's been clear. Members are dealing with the uncertainty of mergers and acquisitions, concerns about Medicare fraud and abuse, and the constant struggle to manage costs. Some members might say it is the winter of their careers.

But dealing with these issues also can be exciting and invigorating. Each new challenge brings new learning, new experiences, and new opportunities that can cause a springlike rebirth of one's career.

To help its members take advantage of new opportunities, HFMA must be ready to help them obtain the knowledge and tools they need to deal with the changing healthcare scene. The Association must be proactive now more than ever, or it will lose its relevance to members and its financial viability.

As HFMA volunteers and staff look at the steps they have taken to respond to the new healthcare environment, they can be proud of the accomplishments of the Association during this last year. Under the leadership of Warren Hern, FHFMA, HFMA's 1996-97 National Chairman, volunteers and staff succeeded in:

* Creating the HFMA Knowledge Network to offer technical assistance to members;

* Creating, producing, and delivering DRG Watch, an important tool to help members respond to Medicare compliance issues;

* Substantially revising the governance structure of the Association in ways that will make it more responsive, flexible, and effective;

* Transforming, through the Davis Chapter Management System and the regional liaison program, the nature of the Association's relationship with its chapters in a way that will increase chapter accountability and effectiveness and improve overall working relationships;

* Building a strong alliance with the Medical Group Management Association that has created synergies to benefit the members of both associations;

* Redesigning HEALTH FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT to make an excellent, market-leading magazine even better;

* Reorganizing the planning, production, marketing, and delivery of professional development products to improve efficiency and effectiveness while expanding the range of book products and educational programs;

* Implementing a new phone system to facilitate a seamless communication between the Association and its members and more effective internal operations;

* Substantially increasing our membership penetration in the managed care and medical group practice markets while maintaining an enviable member retention rate;

* Engaging our chapters in an exciting community service project, HFMA Serves America: Making Medicare Easier, that served thousands of older Americans while increasing HFMA's visibility throughout the country;

* Implementing computer-based testing for HFMA's certifications and entirely changing our certification process to be more responsive to market needs and more accessible to members;

* Designing and implementing a new member service management system that will provide more information and better access to information, and ultimately will, help the Association offer better service to members and customers; and

* Designing and implementing the virtual HFMA, including a new Web site, to increase (and change forever) the ways members can interact with us and each other.

As members look at this list of accomplishments and the resources being developed by the Association, they should feel optimistic about the future. They can feel secure in the knowledge that their Association is making available to them the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in their careers. With these resources, they will be able to seize the opportunities that arise and make the best of a changing environment.

Here comes the sun.

* Here Comes the Sun, by George Harrison [C]1969 HARRISONGS LTD. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.