Michael A. Novak, MSM, MBA, FACHE, Chapter President
Greetings Chapter Members and Fellows,
It’s hard to believe that 2021, after such a difficult 2020, is now almost over. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same thing about the Covid-19 pandemic. First we had the virus itself, then trying to administer vaccines in house and in the community, then the Delta variant, now maybe Omicron. As healthcare leaders, we are now facing significant staffing issues, high census, continued supply and chip shortages and growing costs for almost everything. Projects are behind schedule, inpatient/outpatient markets are topsy-turvy and some semblance of normalcy continues to elude us. At the same time, undaunted, we go to work each day with laser focus on making a difference in our facilities, finding ways to provide care for those in need while protecting those providing that care. We rise to meet each and every challenge, gripe a little about the issues, but then quickly move to planning ways to adapt and overcome each new obstacle. This is the path we have chosen. This is the job we will do. We learn, we solve, develop and implement. It’s the essence of leadership.
As we look back on the Chapter for 2021, I remain in awe with the colleagues whom which we serve. Their dedication, their insight, their awesome-ness helped Connecticut create some of the best pandemic outcomes in the nation. As a Chapter, we held networking events virtual and in-person. We were honored by national ACHE for our Chapter Diversity. We found time to mentor young leaders, we added new members, we learned new ways to prosper in this irregular world. Despite all the challenges, our Chapter had solid performance and is only getting stronger. We will minimally meet the national ACHE recognition Award for Sustained Performance and still have a great shot at achieving Chapter Excellence. To accomplish that, we need three more members to reach their fellowship. We have super events planned for next year and hope to kick off more in-person events starting with Congress in Chicago in March. (If you are going, please check in with the chapter so we can provide you our list of events and meet up and celebrate.)
In closing, I wish to take a moment to recognize all of our healthcare leaders that support our healthcare heroes in delivering outstanding care in the face of unprecedented challenges. As the holidays approach, I encourage everyone to take a moment, look around, think about all you’ve done, the obstacles that were overcome, and thank all your colleagues in care. Lastly and most importantly, share your precious time with your family and loved ones and savor their company. You’ve earned this moment.
On behalf of your Board of the Connecticut Chapter of ACHE, we wish you all a joyous, healthy and safe holidays.
Warm Regards,
Mike