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By David R. Fox, CRA, FAHRA
Leadership matters, and so does growth! When we focus on our goals and strive to achieve them, it is always satisfying to be able to see a goal to completion. AHRA has become THE association for educating imaging leaders, and in the last decade, in my opinion, has expanded beyond the inner circle of imaging. I’ve stated it before: we are an association that has been built on the shoulders of giants! And we continue to grow. We are currently trending to reach 5,400 members by the time we hold our Annual Meeting, July 19-22 in Las Vegas.
Contributing to this growth has been the desire for professionals to achieve their CRA. The CRA designation speaks volumes about the high standards of achievement attained in medical imaging leadership. It is the only professional credential tailored specifically for radiology administrators, focusing on the five domains of human resource management, asset management, financial management, operations management, and communication and information management. Imaging managers are not the only ones with an interest in a broad educational offering on matters such as the five CRA domains, regulatory affairs, and other leadership driven educational offerings. Plenty of professional colleagues in other areas of healthcare management yearn for this knowledge, expertise, and a strong network of friends and colleagues to learn from, and so I invite them to attend our Annual Meeting and see why so many want to attend these meetings year after year.
The updated AHRA strategic plan is currently being constructed by the board to reflect our more current way of thinking and what our goals should be for our association. The current strategic plan of the board of directors has been promoting AHRA’s growth and considering how best to continue serving the needs of current members while appealing to a broader base – and it’s working. We have been witnessing a growth in our membership from other ranks of management in both the ancillary and administrative ranks. To date we have more non-imaging managers and leaders than ever before, making up nearly 15% of our current membership base. What propels the board and the association to achieve this goal? Leadership, of course!
In observing the growth of AHRA, I’m reminded of my good friend Mike Harbour’s advice. Mike is a leadership and executive coach from Little Rock with his own firm, Harbour Resources. He has said: “Leadership is the difference maker and the deal breaker. It’s how we grow organizations. It’s how we impact lives. But, as you also know, leadership cannot be an idea we simply talk about; leadership is the action we must live out.”
This is something that holds true for me as I find my year as president of the AHRA coming to a close. Leadership to me has been more than an idea; it has been a consistent way for me to help each of you to achieve some of your goals. In six short weeks, we will be in Las Vegas, and I will be handing the gavel to president-elect Ernie Cerdena. I’m confident in Ernie’s ability to lead our association and build on the growth, opportunities, and strategies we have set into motion, while contributing his own strengths that will benefit us all. Good luck Ernie, and thank you for stepping forward to provide exceptional leadership for the next year. Hoping to see you all in Vegas!
David R. Fox, CRA, FAHRA is president of the 2014-2015 AHRA Board of Directors. He is the president of Saint Vincent Health-North Hospital in Sherwood, AR and can be reached at Dfox@stvincenthealth.com.
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