The Future of WSHEF/ACHERecently, ACHE established a combined membership structure providing further value to affiliates while providing chapters with an opportunity for significant growth and development. This opportunity will be realized through a shared focus on affiliate's professional development needs and provide a seamless national and local system for innovative services. This combined structure fosters a culture of collaboration by eliminating separate membership recruitment efforts by ACHE and chapters and eliminates duplication in membership data management and communications areas. What does this mean? All ACHE affiliates will automatically be members of their local chapter as a benefit of being an ACHE affiliate, and all chapter members will be ACHE affiliates. ACHE affiliates will automatically become members of their local chapter without any additional fee for chapter dues. ACHE affiliates will be able to maintain contact with up to five additional (secondary) chapters by placing themselves on the contact list of those chapters. Our WSHEF Board and ACHE believes the combined membership structure will produce greater value for ACHE affiliates and provide a means for ACHE and its chapters to make an even greater contribution to healthcare management excellence. |
HISTORY OF WSHEF WSHEF is the statewide organization that began as the Puget Sound Healthcare Executives Forum (PSHEF). PSHEF was originally formed with the intent to attain independent chapter status of the American College of Healthcare Executives. The formation of local chapters is to provide the structure and service to ACHE and Chapter members at a local level. These services include networking, education, and career development opportunities. PSHEF evolved from membership requests for a local chapter through the Washington State’s Regents Advisory Council (RAC). The RAC hosted the meeting in 1997. Ready for independence, PSHEF was formed in the spring of 1998 and subsequently received official HEG (Healthcare Executive Group) designation from the ACHE. Founding membership included 60 healthcare executives and administrators from a broad spectrum of industry. Although membership in PSHEF (now WSHEF) does not require membership in ACHE, a small portion of the PSHEF/WSHEF working budget comes from the ACHE members dues and ACHE on-location educational offerings. PSHEF had grown to over 150 members in the Puget Sound Region by 2001 and was named one of the 13 Local Demonstration Chapters. During this process, PSHEF worked with the Washington State Regent ,Ken Graham, and his RAC to become a statewide chapter. Past Presidents of the PSHEF include: Jim Sapienza, FACHE Pam Rock, CHE HISTORY OF ACHE Founded in 1933, the American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of 30,000 healthcare executives who lead our nation's hospitals, healthcare systems, and other healthcare organizations. ACHE is known for its prestigious credentialing and educational programs and its annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws more than 4,000 participants each year. ACHE is also known for its journal, the Journal of Healthcare Management, and magazine, Healthcare Executive, as well as ground-breaking research and career development and public policy programs. ACHE's publishing division, Health Administration Press, is one of the largest publishers of books and journals on all aspects of health services management in addition to textbooks for use in college and university courses. Through such efforts, ACHE works toward its goal of being the premier professional society for healthcare leaders by providing exceptional value to its members. |
