2010 AHA Annual Membership Meeting

The 2010 AHA Annual Membership Meeting, April 25-28 in Washington, DC, is an excellent opportunity for new and returning board members to stay current on the latest news and trends in both health care and health care governance. You'll hear from noted experts and congressional leaders, and have the opportunity to voice your concerns with AHA staff.

There also are special educational opportunities just for trustees. The AHA's Center for Healthcare Governance again will sponsor three educational sessions:

• Rising to the Challenge:  Best Practices Governance in Unforgiving Times
  James E. Orlikoff, President, Orlikoff & Associates, Inc., and Senior Consultant, Center for Healthcare Governance, Chicago, IL
  Sunday, April 25, 2010, 2:30 - 4:00 pm
  
  To say that these are demanding and challenging times in healthcare is an obvious understatement.  In fact, healthcare is approaching the mother of all inflection points.  During these times of market turbulence, reform uncertainty, and economic risk, effective governance has never been more critical to the survival and success of healthcare organizations.  This presentation will outline the challenges and opportunities confronting health care boards and discuss practical strategies and techniques that boards can implement to keep themselves and their organizations ahead of the demanding curve of change.
  
  
• Why Hospitals Need a Safety Culture and the Trustees' Role in Establishing It
  Mark R. Chassin, MD, MPP, MPH, President, The Joint Commission, Oakbrook Terrace, IL
  Monday, April 26, 2010, 10:45 am - 12:15 pm
  
  Dr. Chassin will discuss what a safety culture is, why it is integral to achieving and maintaining high levels of quality, and how trustees should play a paramount role in assuring that a safety culture is inculcated throughout their organizations.  The Joint Commission's Center for Transforming Healthcare aims to facilitate the transformation of health care into a high reliability industry.  Dr. Chassin will describe this and related Joint Commission initiatives, which are designed to assist health care organizations in reaching new heights of quality and safety.
  
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• Managing and Governing in a New Economic Era
  Frederick A. Hessler, Managing Director, Health Care Group, Citigroup, New York, NY
  Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 10:45 am - 12:15 pm
  
  Health systems are facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the turmoil in the financial markets, tightening credit and economic uncertainty.  The presentation will address how these challenges are impacting the long-term financial sustainability of health systems.  It will identify initiatives that health systems should be implementing to meet these challenges including strategic, operational and managing financial risks.  The role of governance oversight responsibility, including specific Board member competencies, will be addressed in light of these financial and economic challenges. 
  
  Download the Presentation