ASHE Announces New President-Elect, Board Members – Approves Governance Changes

CHICAGO – Members of the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) have elected a new president-elect, selected new members of the ASHE Board of Directors and approved bylaws changes that will expand the organization’s governance.

Mark A. Kenneday, CHFM, FASHE, has been elected as the new president-elect. Kenneday is vice chancellor of campus operations at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Ark. He will serve as president-elect in 2012 and assume the presidency in 2013. Kenneday will succeed Jeffrey L. Arthurs, CHFM, CHSP, FASHE, who will assume the presidency from current president George A. (Skip) Smith, CHFM, SASHE, on Jan. 1, 2012.

Kenneday, who has 28 years of experience in health facility management, is the Region 7 representative on the board and serves as chairman of the ASHE Advocacy Committee.

The following members were re-elected to the board:

Region 3 (Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia):  
Phil Stephens, MHA, CHFM, SASHE, Director, Facilities Management Services, Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast, Concord, N.C.

Region 6 (Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Ontario):
Gary Hempeck, CHFM, Director, Plant Operations, St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Paul, Minn.

Region 7 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas):
Terry Scott, CHFM, CHSP, Director of Facilities & Construction, Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, Houston, Texas

Region 8 (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska):
Robert A. Gance, MBA, RHSO, CHFM, Director of Facility Services, McKee Medical Center of Banner Health, Loveland, Colo. Gance previously served on the board filling a vacant spot, and was elected to his first full term.

Region 10 (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Yukon):
Russell Harbaugh, EOC/Life Safety Officer Accreditation, St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, Boise, Idaho

The newly elected board members will serve two-year terms from Jan. 1, 2012, to Dec. 31, 2013. Elections are staggered, so candidates in other regions will face election in 2012. More detailed biographical information on board members and Kenneday is available online at http://www.ashe.org/about/governance/elections/.

ASHE members also approved nine bylaw amendments. Although some are minor changes to align the bylaws with current practices, two major changes will restructure the society’s governance and redefine membership categories.

One significant change will amend the definition of a professional active member, which was previously a membership category reserved for those employed by a healthcare facility. The change allows those who do not work in a hospital but are currently Certified Healthcare Facility Managers (CHFMs) to also be professional active members.

“It was once common for healthcare facility professionals to stay with the same employer for decades, but the rapidly changing healthcare market has led to employment volatility, and this bylaws change reflects that,” said ASHE Executive Director Dale Woodin, CHFM, FASHE.  “Professional active members demonstrate a personal and professional commitment to a healthcare facility through their role in facility operations, whether they are employed by a hospital or hold CHFM certification.”

Another change will add two spots on the board of directors for associate members, who previously were not eligible to hold board seats. The board will consist of the president, immediate past president, president-elect, representatives from the 10 ASHE regions and two associate members. The 10 regional seats are filled by professional active members, and the presidential positions are reserved for professional active members employed by a healthcare facility or system.

“ASHE has seen considerable membership growth in the last 10 years, and a good portion of that is because of an increase in associate membership,” Woodin said. “This change recognizes the importance of both professional active members and associate members in achieving ASHE’s mission of optimizing the healthcare physical environment.”

More detailed information on the bylaws changes is available online at: http://www.ashe.org/about/governance/proposedbylaws.html.

About ASHE
ASHE is a personal membership group of the AHA. More than 10,500 members count ASHE as a key source of professional development, advocacy and representation of key issues that affect their work in the physical healthcare environment. For more information about ASHE, contact 312-422-3800 or go to www.ashe.org.