The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) celebrates a major milestone in 2021: our 75th Anniversary. Throughout the year, we'll be taking a look back at some of the significant events and people who played important roles in the association's journey from our founding as the American Association of Hospital Accountants in 1946 to today's HFMA — more than 64,000 members strong and the leading organization for healthcare finance professionals.
HFMA's formative years: An evolution in chapters
Although one Midwestern state formed its own local chapter of the American Association of Hospital Accountants (AAHA), doing so set forth the process for other states and regions to follow while adhering to newly adopted requirements.
Do you know which state established the Association's first chapter?
A dream becomes a reality
HFMA was launched in 1946 as the American Association of Hospital Accountants, and the inaugural issue of Hospital Accounting — what was to become hfm magazine — came a year later.
In one of his first messages as AAHA president, Frederick T. Muncie, CPA, told members that the "formation of the American Association of Hospital Accountants is an epoch-making event in the hospital field."
HFMA logos through the years
HFMA 75th Anniversary logo
To commemorate HFMA's 75th Anniversary, we'll be using this special logo throughout the year. You'll see it here on the HFMA website and other places such as our social media channels and event-related materials. As we introduce this new logo, we thought it also would be a good time to take a look at how the association's logo has evolved over the past 75 years.
1947
The American Association of Hospital Accountants' original logo was designed by Helen Yerger, one of the organization's founders. It featured the American eagle, Canadian maple leaves and the caduceus, a symbol of the medical profession. Other elements were the Red Cross and a quill, which symbolized the concentrated effort of hospital accounts.
1968
A second logo was adopted two decades later, when the Association changed its name to Hospital Financial Management Association. At the time, the hospital was the focal point of patient care. Members approved the new name by a 20-to-1 margin.
1982
The logo was revised when the Association changed its name once again to the current Healthcare Financial Management Association, combining the words "health" and "care" so the well-known HFMA acronym would remain the same. It was believed the new name accurately described association members and the broader arena in which they worked.
1984
Two years later, the logo underwent a major change. The new design combined a stylized Swiss cross and the letters HFMA. Accompanying guidelines specified that the logomark was the only graphic design that could be used in conjunction with the association name, its chapters, affiliates, and products or services.
2001
HFMA updated the logo again as part of a comprehensive corporate identity program to convey purpose, value and processes through the use of color, type, imagery and words. The lowercase "hfma" was more informal and approachable, while the new placement of the cross symbol expressed upward movement. The anchor colors conveyed confidence/maturity (blue) and warmth/activity (gold).
2017
Leaning heavily on a modern typographical approach, the latest logo showcases a continuous evolution while holding to its foundational blue color palette. The update was launched in preparation for HFMA's all-access membership model, built to meet the evolving needs of healthcare finance professionals.