Report from Maryland Chapter

Successful Spring Conference

The Maryland Chapter held a successful spring conference on May 6 of this year with over 140 paid attendees. Their one-day conference was held at the Maritime Institute, which is centrally located near the BWI airport and convenient to the interstate. 

Two-keynote presenters were highlighted this year. First, Richard Bennett, M.D. and COO from Johns Hopkins Bayview discussed “Diversity in Health Care” and the initiatives underway that have been key to their success. Secondly, the closing speaker was Dr. Stephen Byrum of the Spiritual Leadership Institute who discussed “Stress in the Workplace,” how it can be measured, and what you can do to decrease the level of stress. 

The conference also included presentations by the Advisory Board on Workforce Planning and an HR Legal Update from two of the attorneys at Whiteford, Taylor and Preston LLC. The lunch prepared by the Maritime Institute was delicious and there was plenty of time allowed for networking. 

At the end of the day, they gave away three educational scholarships to HR professionals pursuing higher education valued at $600 each, raffled off five Visa gift cards and one paid registration to the ASHHRA Conference in Austin.  Overall the day received very good reviews. One primary reason for the conference success is the way membership is handled. MHHRA uses an “organizational membership” approach whereas all employees of a member organization’s HR Department are considered members of MHHRA and any of them may attend the conference. For more information please contact Evan Combs at 443-643-3408 or Jim Miller at 410-550-0954.

Mercer plans to post the web-cast in mid-October.

Evan Combs

Report from West Virginia Chapter

Upcoming 2008 Fall Conference

“Human Resources Making the Difference”

Flatwoods, W.Va.

Mark your calendar to attend the annual WVHHRA Fall Conference at the Days Inn Conference in Flatwoods, W.Va. on Sept. 18 - 19. Dan Weaver, president elect has a great line up of topics and speakers:

1. Legal Update – Steptoe & Johnson
2. FMLA – Diana Smargie, Dept of Labor
3. JACHO & HR – Wendy Maynard
4. Chuck Stump, Keynote speaker – received the highest marks on the conference evaluations.
5. “Attitude Rocks” How do you present yourself as HR Professional – Bob Owen, keynote speaker
6. Electronic Performance Appraisals –Yvonn Martel
7. “Beyond the Day” – Monte Green
8. Key elements in E-recruiting system – Joe Impastato
9. Social reception and dinner on Thursday evening
10. WVU Game Night

The Community Outreach project for this year is the Food Pantry. Items needed are canned goods, non-perishable items or monetary donations to support those in need.

Our conferences are packed with education, invaluable networking, fun and friendships.  Sign up today to take advantage of the most economically priced educational offerings you will find.  If you are interested in assisting with the Fall Conference, please call Dan Weaver at (304) 526-8184.

If you are a new member and would like to be paired up with a seasoned member during the conference, please contact Penny at (304) 637-3174 or e-mail brownp@davishealthsystem.org. 

WVHHRA Goals for 2007-2008

1. Educate membership on WVHHRA Web site, post newsletter and research ability to conduct survey from Web site.
2. Creation of WVHHRA Executive Committee procedure manual
3. Increase scholarship offerings to five $500.00 scholarships to WV Healthcare college students.
4. Conduct one roundtable session 
5. Sustain current membership at 80 percent
6. Recruit three new student members
7. Continue with member recognition at fall conference
8. Conduct one board meeting conference call each quarter
9. Submit a nomination for ASHHRA Outstanding Chapter Achievement Award (OCAA) and Outstanding Chapter Officer Award (OCOA) if applicable.

Report from North Carolina Chapter

Upcoming NCHHRA Fall Conference

Leading with Passion and Purpose

Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC

September 3 – 5, 2008

Take a look at the conference agenda.  Hope to see you there!

Congratulations, Karen Moorefield!

Karen is the HR Program Specialist at Annie Penn Hospital.  She serves on the Executive Committee for NCHHRA as District II Director.

In 2007, ASHHRA introduced a new scholarship program providing financial assistance to health care HR professionals who wanted to attend the annual conference and exposition.  Through generous support of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, the ASHHRA Foundation is once again offering this ASHHRA Conference Scholarship.  You are one of the nine recipients that will be awarded $1000 toward conference registration costs and related expenses at the 44th Annual ASHHRA Conference and Exposition in Austin, Texas.

As an award winner please take into consideration the following:

1. You must be present for recognition at the conference (more information on timing of event will be communicated to you closer to the conference).
2. You must prepare a one-page post-conference report to be published in the ASHHRA regional newsletter.
3. Please check the ASHHRA Annual Conference Web site for instructions on how to make your hotel reservations.  Please remember that all hotel room charges and incidentals are the responsibility of the award winner.
4. Please keep in mind you will need to register and pay for the conference. 
5. Your MetLife check will be handed to you at the annual conference in Austin.
6. Please make sure to keep all your receipts for tax purposes just to be safe.

On behalf of ASHHRA, I am delighted to extend this honor to you. 

Please do not hesitate to call me with questions.

Sincerely,

Stephanie H. Drake

Associate Executive Director

The ASHHRA 44^th Annual Conference & Exposition
See Schedule-at-a-Glance

Dear Colleagues:

I'm delighted to invite you to register for the ASHHRA 44th Annual Conference and Exposition, Oct. 11 through 14, in Austin, Texas. Austin is a city with heart and soul - the perfect location for health care HR professionals to gather.

Look for more details about the conference posted on the Web site. Register now!

Best regards,
Jeanene Martin
2008 ASHHRA President

What are the benefits of ASHHRA membership?

ASHHRA provides timely and critical support through ongoing learning and development, products and resources, and opportunities for networking and collaboration. Take a look!

Presenting!

The 2009 ASHHRA Board Slate

ASHHRA is pleased to present you with the slate for your 2009 ASHHRA Board of Directors.  We encourage you to review the slate carefully—biographies of each candidate are linked on the instruction page for your convenience.  Please remember that practitioners, emeritus, and past president members of ASHHRA are eligible to vote for the slate as listed. Click here for candidate photos and biographies.

This slate reflects the recommendations of the 2008 National Nominating Committee and the ASHHRA Board of Directors based on the qualifications and criteria as outlined in the job descriptions for each board position. Particular care was given when slating these candidates to look at the future needs of ASHHRA members as well as alignment with the ASHHRA strategic plan.

To participate in the election process click here . Your Username is your 10-digit membership number (0005127649). Your Password is your last name.

If you have questions, please call us at 312-422-3720 or e-mail us at ashhra@aha.org. The deadline for registering your vote is Sept. 2, 2008.

Thank you for your participation.

Regards,

Molly Seals

ASHHRA 2008 Immediate Past President & National Nominating Committee Chair

Congratulations! 
Barry K. Lindeman, SPHR, director, Human Resources, Clark Regional Medical Center, Winchester, Ky, for being on the 2009 ASHHRA Board of Directors slate of officers.  Barry is from our Region 3!

Work Experience

2002 – present: Human resources administration of approximately 525 employees; coordination of hospital community volunteer program, employee health program, staff education and development; and supervision of approximately 60 volunteers and staff

• Coordination of hospital-wide customer service initiative in conjunction with The Studer Group

• Implementation health insurance plan with an $1.2 million of claims savings

• Implementation of market-based salary structure resulting in $450,000 in adjustments

• Successfully managed departmental budgets in excess of $4.2 million

• Decreased organizational turnover through team-based recruitment & retention programs by 5% over tenure

• Redesigned Performance Evaluation System to ensure consistent measuring of employee performance

1998 - 2002: director, Human Resources, Baptist Healthcare Systems, Inc., Central Baptist Hospital, Lexington, Ky.

Human resource administration of approximately 2300 employees; coordination of hospital staffing office, employee health program, management engineering, Child Development Center; and supervision of 19 directors and staff

• Successfully managed departmental budgets in excess of $2 million

• Decreased organization turnover through proactive and innovative recruitment & retention program by 6% from FY 2000 to FY 2001

• Reduced workers’ compensation claims by 25% over tenure

• Five HR staff members successfully completed professional certification through HRCI and SHRM

1996 - 1997: director, Human Resources, Hospice of the Bluegrass, Inc., Lexington, KY.

Human resource administration of 225 employees; facilities and maintenance; supervision of two staff members

• Successfully integrated Mountain Community Hospice (Hazard, Kentucky)

• Successfully established Northern Kentucky Hospice (Newport, Kentucky)

• Established Hospice Care Center at Saint Joseph Hospital (Lexington, Kentucky)

• Successfully completed Joint Commission Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations

1994 - 1996: director, Administrative Services, Hospice of Hope, Inc., Maysville, Ky.

Administrative and fiscal control of daily hospice operations; human resource administration; management information systems; marketing; public and volunteer relations; supervision of five professionals

• Established satellite offices in Waverly and Hillsboro, Ohio

• Implemented successful provider referral program for service area

Hello Everyone!

Hello from your ASHHRA Region 3 consultant!  As your ASHHRA Region 3 consultant, my role is to be your liaison with ASHHRA.  I welcome feedback from members to ensure ASHHRA is effectively meeting chapter needs.  Watch for quarterly newsletters that will share highlights of activities in our region.

I am looking forward to working with each of you.  One of my goals is to visit each of your chapters over the next two years.  I was very fortunate to visit the N.C. chapter in March.  I look forward to visiting your chapter in the coming year.

Here are a few reminders regarding upcoming opportunities for participation in ASHHRA.  Visit the Web site to take advantage of these opportunities.

• National Conference Reminder:  Save $40-$50 with the Early Bird Discount Registration - deadline has been extended to May 31, 2008.
• Consider nominating one of your chapter members to showcase their significant achievement.  Submit a nomination – deadline is June 20, 2008.
• Conference Scholarship Application to attend annual conference – deadline July 31, 2008

In this issue I would like to highlight three Region 3 chapter leaders: Sharon Murphy, North Carolina; Chuck Walton, Virginia; and Dr. Lynette Walker, Kentucky.  Also included are highlights from the North Carolina and Virginia spring conferences.

Please let me know if you have information you wish to share in future editions.  Topics and content will be greatly appreciated!  Hope to see you in Austin!

Highlighting Three of the
ASHHRA Region 3 Chapter Leaders!

Sharon Murphy - SPHR, MHA
WakeMed Health and Hospitals
HR Director, Compensation/Benefits/HRIS

Sharon Murphy has over 20 years’ human resources experience working for large  insurance and health care organizations. She has been working at WakeMed Health and Hospitals in North Carolina for ten years and currently is the HR director, Compensation/Benefits/HRIS. She has also held management positions for the organization as HR director, Compensation and HR director, Employee Relations.

Bachelor’s degree  - University of Connecticut
Master’s in Health Administration - Pfeiffer University

Her other professional and community services include: certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and she holds a board position as president of the North Carolina Healthcare Human Resources Association.  She is also a member of the Raleigh/Wake Human Resources Association, the National Society of Human Resources Management, and the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration.  Sharon is the current president of the North Carolina Healthcare Human Resources Association.

Chuck Walton
Corporate Director HR Affiliate relations
Valley Health / Shenandoah Memorial Hospital

Chuck Walton’s HR career in health care has spanned over thirty years.  He has been VP of HR at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital and director of HR at William B. Kessler Memorial Hospital. Other areas of responsibility have included community relations, education/training, safety/security, employee health, housekeeping/laundry and plant operations.

Associate Degree Liberal Arts, Gloucester County Community College, 1974
Bachelor of Arts Degree, Concordia College, 1976
Master of General Administration, University of Maryland University College, 1994
SPHR

His other professional and community services include being the current president of VaSHHRA and with membership since 1999, ASHHRA membership for many years, and SHRM membership for many years.

Dr. Lynette Walker
Director of Human Resources
Central Baptist Hospital, Lexington, Ky.

Prior to joining the human resources department, Dr. Walker worked in a variety of health care settings at Central Baptist Hospital as a registered nurse, including roles as the director of Cardiovascular Operations and Clinical House Supervisor.

Associate Degree in Nursing - Ashland Community College
B.A. in Health Administration - Graceland College,
Master’s and Doctoral in Health Administration - Kennedy-Western University
Forensic Nursing Certification - Kaplan College

Her other professional and community services include working closely with numerous community, educational, and business groups to address the growing health care professional shortage within the central Kentucky area.  Dr. Walker currently serves as the president for the Kentucky Society of Healthcare Human Resources and is an active member in the American Society of Healthcare Human Resources and the Society for Human Resources Management.
 

Conference Highlights From:
The North Carolina Healthcare
Human Resources Administration
held
Wednesday, March 12th through Friday, March 14th
at
Kingston Plantation
Myrtle Beach, SC

A Passion for Customer Service & Employee Satisfaction
Keynote Speaker: Liz Jazwiec, of Liz, Inc., is a nationally renowned speaker and consultant, sharing her passion for customer service and employee satisfaction with audiences around the country.  She inspires others interested in building customer service driven by employee satisfaction.  She discussed the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer service, described the steps that make patient satisfaction easy and show how to discover the impact of recognizing heroes.

Legal Update
Lucretia Guia, of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, has practiced in the employment and labor field throughout her legal career.  She routinely teams with employers, both private and public, to help them comply with federal and state laws.  She helped with understanding key labor trends affecting healthcare and human resources and discussed current legislative issues at the state and national level.

Essentials of a Successful Wellness Program
Chris Galanos, Avidyn Health, has more than 30 years’ experience in management and sales, devoting the last 20 to various aspects of health care management including general and sales management, strategic planning and marketing, and product development.  He showed the 30-year evolution of the employer-based financial wellness model, including lessons learned and help all understand an effective program construct and delivery model that is easily and affordably implemented and sustained.

Motivating Yourself and Your Workforce
Max Brown, OC Tanner, provides a global perspective to the challenge of motivating people.  Included in his presentations are stories and examples that inspire people to act.  He shared the foundation to great recognition and better business results, shared that recognition programs do not need to be complex to be effective and how to increase the impact of recognition programs and how to measure the impact of the recognition in your organization.

At the NCHHRA Spring Conference, Grace Moffitt, ASHHRA Region 3 consultant, presented an update regarding the benefits of ASHHRA membership.  She also complimented the NCHHRA Conferences Planning Committee members for designing conference program content using the ASHHRA leadership model “Leading with Passion and Purpose.”
(L to R) Sharon Murphy, NCHHRA President; Bob Borbet, President-elect; Denise O’Hara, VP of Membership; Grace Moffitt, Communications/Newsletter Chair and ASHHRA Region 3 Consultant

Conference Highlights From:
The Virginia Society for Healthcare
Human Resources Administration
held
Wednesday, May 7 through Friday, May 9
at
Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center
Staunton, Virginia

Creating an Environment of “Stellar Service”
Susan Cabell Mains is the vice-president of Administration and the Compliance Officer at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Susan has overall responsibility for human resources, corporate compliance, legislative affairs, community education and training and development.  Ms. Cabell Mains started our spring conference with insight on leading a customer focused human resources department.

Employment Branding Initiatives
Shannon Janney is administrator for marketing for University of Virginia Health System where she is responsible for strategic marketing, community relations, physician relations, and marketing support services. Ms. Janney explored the roles of HR and marketing in collaborating to create culture change to create a brand driven organization including rethinking traditional HR and marketing job functions, demonstrated the importance of creating and maintaining an employee brand, and defined HR's role in researching, creating, leveraging, and maintaining the brand.

Employer-Employee Relations in a Multi-Cultural Setting
Teresa Randolph Turner and Pedro Ortiz, with the Virginia Employment Commission, described how the emerging labor shortage is diversifying the local workplace.  Objectives of this session helped identify human resource concerns and defined the critical role communication approaches play in adapting a multicultural workforce.

Legislative & Employment Law Report 2008
Jerry Canaan and Joan Miekle, HDJN Attorneys at Law, updated participants on legislative developments in the 2008 general assembly as well as recent federal and state employment laws and cases. 

Benefits Trends and Update
Marika Ostendorf is a partner in Baldwin Law Group, LLP and has over twenty years of experience in the field of employee benefits.  She currently serves as the outside ERISA counsel to multiple heath care systems in different regions of the country.  Ms. Ostendorf outlined the various trends with qualified retirement plans, with an emphasis on defined contribution plans.  Specific topics of interest were automatic enrollment, default investments, documentation issues with 403(b) plans and DOL rules regarding fee disclosures.

How to Manage Generational Diversity
Stephanie Peters is the regional vice president with SESCO Management Consultants in Richmond, Virginia.  Specific to recruitment and retention concerns, Ms. Peters presented managing generational diversity.  Participants discussed new ideas, leadership skills and business environments that help minimize potential conflict of different generations in the workplace and help attract and retain cross-generational employees.

ASHHRA - One North Franklin, Chicago, IL, 60606
Phone:312.422.3720 | Fax:312.422.4577 | Email:ashhra@aha.org