2019 ACHE Congress Recap

Saint Louis University Health Management and Policy students, alumni and faculty attended the 2019 ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership. This annual event allowed opportunities to learn, network and collaborate. In addition, the Department of Health Management and Policy honored alumni during its annual alumni awards ceremony held at the HMP Alumni Reception.

From left to right: Dr. Rhonda BeLue, Whitney Brasel, Kwamane Liddell, Doug Niedzwiecki, Diya Al-Ramahi, and Dr. Tom Burroughs.

Below are the 2019 HMP alumni award recipients as well as notable takeaways from this year’s event.

2019 HMP Alumni Award Recipients

Professional Achievement – Doug Niedzwiecki, MBA/M.H.A. 2007

Early Career Achievement – Whitney Brasel, M.H.A. 2014

Community Service – Diya Al-Ramahi, M.H.A. 2017

Mentorship – Kwamane Liddell, J.D./M.H.A. 2018

4 Takeaways from the 2019 ACHE Congress

1. “Resilience is an essential leadership skill.” – Rhonda BeLue, Ph.D., Chair, Health Management and Policy

In the session, “Agility and Resilience in Healthcare Leadership: Key Behaviors for Leading Change,” Amer Kaissi, Ph.D., shared key leadership attributes that promote agility and resilience for health care executives. Dr. Kaissi defines agility as:

Questioning the status quo
Taking the time to learn and reflect
Pivoting and taking risks

Regarding resilience, he encourages health care executives to do the following:

Deal with setbacks by using realistic optimism
Deal with stress by taking the time to recharge through days off, breaks, as well as exercise/diet/nutrition

2. “One of the best ways for students (and faculty and alumni) to learn is by rubbing elbows with experienced health care leaders at the ACHE Congress.” - Steven Howard, Ph.D., Director, M.H.A. and Executive M.H.A. program

In the session, “Networking Perspectives: From the Classroom to the Boardroom,” presenters Gerry Ibay and Whitney Dockrey Miller identified strategic ways to focus and improve networking efforts. They share that young professionals need to "Find a balance between having your needs met and allowing for the other person to have his or her needs met. Networking is about building relationships, and the best relationships are not one-sided. You don’t want to be just a giver, or just a taker. Support one another to develop mutually beneficial relationships."

Ibay and Miller continue, "Find where you network best, prepare yourself, know who you want to meet/type of professional you want to meet/what you want to accomplish and go all in. Remember to follow up with those you meet to set yourself apart. Utilize social media professionally. Always have business cards. Be confident. Concentrate on the quality of relationships you build—not the quantity. One good relationship beats 15 average ones any day."

Managed Care Executive recently published a list of networking tips for health executives, including:

Attend professional events (such as the ACHE Congress)
Prepare a self-introduction
Talk to people standing alone
Prepare for conversations, then follow up

Other effective networking tips include joining associations, volunteering, and using social media to initiate and maintain contact with potential employers.

3. “When you are not being interviewed, you are still being interviewed.” – Jordan McLaren, M.H.A. 2020 candidate

In “A Strategic Guide for a Successful Administrative Fellowship Application,” speakers shared the purpose and definition of a fellowship. This included to be exposed to various facets of an integrated health care system, the opportunity to be mentored by C-suite members, and fostering an understanding of the health care environment in a low-risk environment that allows professional development.

Also shared was the important advice that you are always being interviewed. It’s important to be aware of how you present yourselves via social media, at conferences, via e-mail and by phone, as well as in person. How you are perceived as a professional is part of your personal brand.

4. “Our students and alumni are amazing....and a lot of fun!” – Tom Burroughs, Ph.D., Dean, SLU College for Public Health and Social Justice

One way to discover the amazing accomplishments of health administration professionals is to engage with social media. In the “Tools for a Young Professional’s Toolkit” session, speakers emphasized the role social media outlets such as LinkedIn can play in promoting your experience and achievements.

Article updated on 3/25/2019 to include quotes from Gerry Ibay and Whitney Dockrey Miller.

About SLU's Department of Health Management and Policy

Established in 1947, the Department of Health Management and Policy at the Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is among the oldest academic programs of its type. It is home to the Master of Health Administration, which was awarded Program of the Year by AUPHA, and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.

SLU’s M.H.A. program is ranked No. 13 by U.S. News & World Report and the Health Law program ranks No. 1 in the country.