Washington-Alaska Chapter

President’s Welcome

Welcome to the WA-AK HFMA Chapter!

I am very excited to begin my term as WA AK HFMA Chapter President on June 1^st! have had a chance to meet many of you over the past 2.5 years since I transferred into the WA AK HFMA Chapter, but I thought it would be helpful to share a little bit about me. I have been in healthcare for over 30 years. During my “day time job”, I serve as the Ambulatory Services Financial Officer for EvergreenHealth and, Since April 2022, have also served as the Financial Officer for EvergreenHealth Monroe Hospital.

I am originally from Minnesota but relocated to the Chicago area in 2010 when I accepted a job with Loyola University Medical Center. In October 2020, during the height of the pandemic, my husband and I made the cross-country venture so that I could join EvergreenHealth. We have been having a blast exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest ever since!

Our Chapter theme is year is “Setting New Trends”, and we look to build on the wonderful traditions and successes that the chapter has achieved over the years while trying new things.

Volunteering is very important to me. I view it as a combination of giving back, paying it forward, and saying “thank you” to all of the wonderful mentors that have helped me throughout my career. I began my volunteering with HFMA in 2015 as part of the First Illinois Chapter, serving as a member and then Co-Chair of the Membership Committee. I was serving as the Chapter Secretary/Treasurer at the time we relocated to Washington. At the time of my transition, I connected with Jesse Maier and Mike Smith and was able to immediately become active with the WA AK Chapter. It has been a fun and exciting journey through the President track!

Our Chapter priorities this year include: improving member and business partner engagement, expanding social networking opportunities (creating a greater sense of community), and enhancing our already amazing programs. We created some ambitious and awesome goals and tactics at our Officer Retreat last September which we began refining at our Volunteer Summit this March. The Chapter has many volunteer opportunities for you to be part of achieving these goals! If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Tatyana Rubtsova: [email protected].

We have great educational and networking events to connect you to key industry partners. We have at least three conferences each year: Seattle area, Spokane and Anchorage as well as monthly social networking events. Join us also for a Mariners baseball game with one of our group suites! Enter at this link to win a chance to join us as a healthcare provider! Business partners are not eligible to win yet can exclusively sponsor the event and join us too!

Thank you to Jesse Maier, Mike Smith, and the many others that have helped with my orientation/learning curve and have served as mentors to me. I have huge shoes to fill, but we have a wonderful Officer team in place! Always feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected]. Cheers to a great new chapter year!

Ann Peterson, CHFP

Upcoming Events

Event	Date	Location
Mariners Baseball Suites	July 20 & August 30, 2023	T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Women’s Event	September 8, 2023	Providence Health & Services, Renton, WA
WA/AK and OR Social	September 9, 2023	NW Sports in Centralia, WA
Fall WA Conference	October 11-12, 2023	Northern Quest Casino, Spokane, WA

Monthly Connection to the WA-AK HFMA Chapter!

New Members! New to Chapter! Questions & Answers! Email questions to: Kim Polanco, Membership Chair at [email protected]	3rd Thursday monthly, Noon-1pm Pacific	Join Zoom Meeting HERE or copy paste link to your calendar: https://demarsemeetings.zoom.us/j/89868286455?pwd=xEC4vmn7IKsd3wQzVFILq8PpUaFbqL.1
Networking Local Events	3rd Thursday monthly	Email [email protected] with any questions!
Networking Event!	August 17, 5-7 p.m.	Flatstick Pub, Spokane, WA
Networking Event!	September 9, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.	NW Sports in Centralia, Pickleball – OR vs WA Tournament
Networking Event!	October 11-13, 5-7 p.m.	TopGolf, Spokane, WA – Fall Conference
Networking Event!	December, 5-7 p.m.	TBA