The First Illinois Chapter is the premier membership organization in the Chicagoland area for healthcare finance leaders. We were chartered as the first chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) on October 15, 1948.
With more than 1600 members, including healthcare finance leaders and professionals from hospitals and health systems, provider organizations, physician practices, business partners and payer markets, we are one of the largest metropolitan chapters of HFMA.
President’s Welcome
THANK YOU! It is truly an honor and privilege to serve as President of the First Illinois Chapter, and to top that, during our momentous 75th year as a chapter, the longest running chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). It is a responsibility that I couldn’t possibly deliver on without the great leadership that has come before me, along with the current leadership and board of directors who support our chapters goals and efforts as we serve our membership.
My Legacy
A question that gets asked to every president before they begin their role is what is the legacy you want to leave for your year as President? It was only fitting to hear that question be asked of me by our income Regional Executive, Dan Yunker, the same person who got me involved in HFMA 10+ years ago and showed me the importance of being involved in HFMA, a mentor who has asked me this same question at different points in my career.
Community: We are a community, a group of healthcare professionals with diverse characteristics, experience, and background. I want to see us come together even more as a chapter this year, in support of each other in forms of collaboration and mentorship. To not only educate our members but bring together our membership to support our community and all the great initiatives our local hospitals, health systems, and providers are actively working on. Making public health equality our focus in education, community involvement, and as a supporting organization.
Collaboration: The financial picture our industry faces continues to be a tough one. Inflation has had its impact everywhere in the industry and our chapter isn’t immune to that. We not only need to get more creative with how we provide education and community to our membership, but we also need to collaborate more within the healthcare community: partnering with providers and health systems to put on affordable education; working with like organizations to promote content that is meaningful to our members and providers; and promoting other HFMA chapter events. Success will not require compromise, but flexibility.
Connection: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has taken so much from all of us. Some lost friends, family, and loved ones. Its devastation has run deep. What continues to linger beyond the quarantines and the masks is the loss of connection and how plentiful it once was. I want this to be a year of connecting for our chapter and fellow HFMA chapters. I personally have set a goal to connect with at least three fellow HFMA members monthly in various settings, and I hope you have a similar goal as well. Over the years, my HFMA community has brought me friendship, mentorship, and networks. I look forward to growing those connections deeper and wider with the HFMA community.
In closing, I am very much looking forward to the year ahead, as we all continue to grow in our careers, our connections, and our benefit as a chapter to the healthcare communities we serve.
Katie White, FHFMA, CPA
2023-24 President, First Illinois Chapter HFMA
VP, Finance & Performance Strategy
[email protected]
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