President’s Message
Take the Opportunity As you read this, we will be approaching our annual conference. I am so excited! We have been changing our annual conference over the last 3 to 4 years in order to provide our members with a better product/experience. Everyone who looked at our conference was surprised at how successful it was, but we wanted to make it even better for the members. And I think we have succeeded—but we need to keep making it better every year. Jacque L. Mitchell, RN, CPHRM, FASHRM, ARM
I am going to tell you a little secret about me. When I became a risk manager, my goal was to try to go to the ASHRM conference every year that I could. In the beginning, when hospitals had money for employee education, ASHRM was the conference I would choose. As the amount of money for education was shrinking, I would share a room with someone or pay part of it myself. I also took the opportunity to earn my CPHRM and my FASHRM—so I would convince my leadership what an honor it was for their risk manager to have these credentials. I also took the opportunity to be a presenter at the conference a couple of times. Every year there was an opportunity to be on an ASHRM committee—I would volunteer. I really didn't care what committee I was appointed to. Every committee was a different chance to learn something new and to meet other risk management professionals. Once I got to the conference, I would volunteer to introduce people or monitor the room. They were all great opportunities. And one of the best benefits was meeting all my fellow risk management professionals. Risk management at the state level is where I first saw the fellowship of our profession. Very early in my career, one of my friends said, “You need to join the state chapter for risk management.” I was very excited to be asked to be a part of this group of people I admired. (Thanks, Susan R.) So I went, and I then took the opportunity to be a presenter, participate on the program committee, register the attendees, and distributed the handouts. What a lot of jobs to do at the state chapter level! I soon ran for a position on the state Board of Directors. Later, I ran for secretary, vice president, president elect, and then president. I am still on the Program Committee. What great opportunities I had. So what is this reminiscing all about? Looking back, I see what great opportunities I had in my profession. But I also know that I had to make my own opportunities, search them out, and develop my leadership skills along the way. Take the opportunity to take some leadership skills development courses through your organization or local college. Craft your leadership skills in the different roles you do at your state chapter and ASHRM. They will only benefit you and allow you to grow into your profession. So you see, I just wanted to go to the ASHRM annual conference, but along the way, I joined and contributed to my state organization, developed leadership skills, and worked my way onto the Board of ASHRM. Again, I was just excited to go to the conference, so when I was nominated for the ASHRM president’s position, I had to take the opportunity. …
2014 ASHRM President © 2014 American Society for Healthcare Risk Management of the American Hospital Association Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) • DOI: 10.1002/jhrm.21151 AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HEALTHCARE RISK MANAGEMENT • VOLUME 34, NUMBER 2
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Take the Opportunity As you read this, we will be approaching our annual conference. I am so excited! We have been changing our annual conference over the last 3 to 4 years in order to provide our members with a better product/experience. Everyone who looked at our conference was surprised at how successful it was, but we wanted to make it even better for the members. And I think we have succeeded—but we need to keep making it better every year. Jacque L. Mitchell, RN, CPHRM, FASHRM, ARM
I am going to tell you a little secret about me. When I became a risk manager, my goal was to try to go to the ASHRM conference every year that I could. In the beginning, when hospitals had money for employee education, ASHRM was the conference I would choose. As the amount of money for education was shrinking, I would share a room with someone or pay part of it myself. I also took the opportunity to earn my CPHRM and my FASHRM—so I would convince my leadership what an honor it was for their risk manager to have these credentials. I also took the opportunity to be a presenter at the conference a couple of times. Every year there was an opportunity to be on an ASHRM committee—I would volunteer. I really didn't care what committee I was appointed to. Every committee was a different chance to learn something new and to meet other risk management professionals. Once I got to the conference, I would volunteer to introduce people or monitor the room. They were all great opportunities. And one of the best benefits was meeting all my fellow risk management professionals. Risk management at the state level is where I first saw the fellowship of our profession. Very early in my career, one of my friends said, “You need to join the state chapter for risk management.” I was very excited to be asked to be a part of this group of people I admired. (Thanks, Susan R.) So I went, and I then took the opportunity to be a presenter, participate on the program committee, register the attendees, and distributed the handouts. What a lot of jobs to do at the state chapter level! I soon ran for a position on the state Board of Directors. Later, I ran for secretary, vice president, president elect, and then president. I am still on the Program Committee. What great opportunities I had. So what is this reminiscing all about? Looking back, I see what great opportunities I had in my profession. But I also know that I had to make my own opportunities, search them out, and develop my leadership skills along the way. Take the opportunity to take some leadership skills development courses through your organization or local college. Craft your leadership skills in the different roles you do at your state chapter and ASHRM. They will only benefit you and allow you to grow into your profession. So you see, I just wanted to go to the ASHRM annual conference, but along the way, I joined and contributed to my state organization, developed leadership skills, and worked my way onto the Board of ASHRM. Again, I was just excited to go to the conference, so when I was nominated for the ASHRM president’s position, I had to take the opportunity. …
2014 ASHRM President © 2014 American Society for Healthcare Risk Management of the American Hospital Association Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) • DOI: 10.1002/jhrm.21151 AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HEALTHCARE RISK MANAGEMENT • VOLUME 34, NUMBER 2
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