Catherine A. Jacobson, FHFMA, CPA
National Chair
Ms. Jacobson is the voluntary Chair of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) during the 2009-10 term, beginning June 1, 2009.
Ms. Jacobson is Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning & Finance, CFO, and Treasurer, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
A member of HFMA since 1989, Ms. Jacobson’s involvement with the National Association includes serving on the Principles & Practices Board (1995-98 and 1998-01), serving as chair during 2000-01, the Strategic Planning Committee (2004-06 and 2008-10), serving as chair in 2008-09, the Board of Directors (2004-10), the Executive Committee (2005-10), and the Audit & Finance Committee (2006-10), serving as chair in 2007-08. She has received the Follmer Bronze and Reeves Silver merit awards.
Ms. Jacobson, a Fellow of HFMA and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois.
Richard L. Clarke, DHA, FHFMA
President and CEO
Dr. Clarke is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), Westchester, Illinois, a professional membership association with more than 35,000 members in 70 chapters who share an interest in the financial management of the delivery of healthcare services. He has held this position since June 1986.
From 1980 to 1986, Mr. Clarke held positions with Swedish Health Systems in Englewood, Colorado, including Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to 1980, he was employed at hospitals in Florida.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Distribution from Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois (1970), a master’s degree in Business Administration in management/finance from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida (1972), and a Doctor of Health Administration (DHA) degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (2005).
Dr. Clarke attained Fellowship (FHFMA) in HFMA in 1983. He also was president of the Colorado Chapter of HFMA, served on the HFMA National Matrix, and was a member of HFMA’s Principles and Practices Board.
Dr. Clarke currently is the Immediate Past Chair of the Accrediting Commission on Education in Health Administration (ACEHSA), having served in various capacities for that organization since 1997. He also is a former chairman, of AHA Financial Solutions, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Hospital Association). Additionally, he has served on the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Seventh District Advisory Council. Dr. Clarke currently holds an adjunct faculty position in the Department of Health Systems Management at Rush University in Chicago.
Dr. Clarke has written numerous articles on healthcare finance and co-authored the books, The Crisis in Health Care: Costs, Choices and Strategies, published by Jossey-Bass in 1990, Capitalizing Medical Groups: Positioning Physicians for the Future, published jointly by HFMA and MGMA in 1998, and Beyond Managed Care: How Consumers and Technology are Changing the Future of Health Care, published by Jossey-Bass Inc. in 2000.