June 2025, and another Annual Conference is being held, this year in Denver. It started in 1949 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, with the Hospital Accounting Clinic and Workshop. Then, over the years, as it gradually expanded, it found a home in new distinguished settings, including the University of Chicago, Ohio State University and the University of Colorado, until in 1985, it became the truly national event we know today as it began to travel yearly to new venues in different states. Only the name changed, from the Annual National Institute (ANI) to today’s Annual Conference.
This evolution and the growth of HFMA has been nothing short of amazing. Starting with just 284 members in its first year, 1946, the Association has grown to more than 135,000 — a testament to the hard work, strategic planning and operational decisions contributed by a long line of healthcare executives over decade after decade.
The purpose of this column since it was introduced in 2022 has been to recognize the HFMA members behind the numbers and the value of their accomplishments, contributions and insights, which cannot be overstated.
Lessons learned from an HFMA legend
I have been a member for 48 of HFMA’s 79 years. Many years ago, I was lucky enough to meet and spend some time with one of the Association’s most longstanding and respected members, Robert M. Shelton, FHFMA, CAE. Today, many members know of him as the namesake for the Shelton Award, which recognizes HFMA chapters for having demonstrated exemplary service over a five-year period.
Bob was the executive director of HFMA from 1959 to 1978, after it had relocated to the Chicago area. He was a fount of information and good cheer to all who knew him — a natural successor to those who founded the Association. As a young man, I was awed in his presence. Yet he was always approachable and eager to share his insights. One time, I remember him explaining to me why it was so important for HFMA to have worked hard to bring the hospital accountants of the 1950s into the senior leadership positions they began to occupy in the 1990s.
Later, as president of the First Illinois Chapter in 2000-01, I was privileged to receive leadership tips from Bob.
What I learned: It’s all about giving
Bob was just one of many HFMA executives I have known who have made a difference in the lives of others through sharing and giving. Each of them volunteered their time to improve outcomes for every finance professional who works in the healthcare industry. That giving is what inspires me to share my own “voice of experience” regarding the joys and benefits of HFMA membership and how the Association has played a huge role in helping me mold and shape my 50-year business career. My hope is that generations of HFMA members in the future will continue to yield the profound benefits of HFMA membership.
What you can do — and why
I am speaking in particular to those among HFMA’s current 135,000 members who have not yet chosen to volunteer and participate in regular programming at the local chapter or HFMA national level. There are so many opportunities to give and eventually lead. Here are just a few examples:
- Participate in committees to design activities
- Edit and write chapter newsletters
- Plan, organize and execute member meetings
- Assist chapter and national leaders in their efforts around planning, organizing or operating
So why do it? Here’s how getting involved in HFMA significantly accelerated both my knowledge and career.
Like many of you, I joined because a colleague told me it was important to be involved in the only national organization specifically dedicated to hospital finance leaders and managers. He told me that the primary reason for joining HFMA was for access to networking at the local chapter level. I took his advice, even though I didn’t fully grasp its significance at the time, being a relative novice in the field.
At the time, my local chapter was having monthly social events and get-togethers, bringing together senior leaders in hospitals and industry to mingle and get to know others. I was 24 years old when I joined, just two years out of school, still very raw. Yet, when I walked into that first social, people warmly greeted me. I did not know them then but was destined to know them for a long time.
And I picked up dozens of tips that I would be able to use throughout my career in healthcare finance.
As it turned out, I would move through six HFMA chapters, as my career took me through various interesting and exciting jobs. I became involved with each chapter, gaining insight and guidance from incredibly gifted leaders in our industry. I rose to become a thought leader and educator/trainer for HFMA, teaching at 25 HFMA Annual Conferences, hundreds of two-day classes across the country and at more than 35 local HFMA chapters. And I was able to share knowledge I picked up from attending HFMA socials and classes taught by others, while benefiting from interactions with other class attendees.
So what can HFMA do for you?
HFMA membership can mean a lot if you get involved through networking, education, learning and doing. You start by getting to know people sharper than you, who share what they know with you, and then you get sharper over time and start sharing what you know. Symbiotic. Cool. (Hey, my career started in the 1970s!)
Simply put, HFMA shaped my career — and ultimately my life! And it was possible because I chose to follow the very same path that I have recommended here for all new members: I joined early in my career, got involved, started getting and taking responsibility at local chapters, and eventually enjoyed huge benefits in my hospital financial management and leadership roles.
Regardless of your current title, job description or level of authority, HFMA offers the same tremendous opportunities today to expand your knowledge and use it to make a difference at the local or national level. And don’t tell me you are too busy. Find a way to make time for it.
What are you waiting for?
