American College of Healthcare Executives 2018 Chapter Development Report Division of Regional Services March 2018 Since the establishment of chapters in 2004 the Chapter Development Report has tracked the progress of chapters toward meeting the goals of ACHE s chapter strategy. Over the last several years it has become clear that chapters have reached a point of maturity that necessitates a recalibration of this report to concentrate less on the history of the chapter strategy and the ability of chapters to achieve these original goals. Instead, there is a need to understand the factors that help leverage the strong foundation between ACHE and chapters to focus on the future for the purpose of enhancing the value that chapters provide to members. Therefore, this report is segmented into four sections that support this new purpose: Foundational Requirements Performance Standards Sustaining Initiatives Satisfaction with Chapters and Regional Services Support Foundational Requirements The Chapter Agreement provides the foundation for chapter success by outlining the obligations of both ACHE and the chapter for the purpose of creating a mutually beneficial relationship. The following table documents chapter compliance with key elements of the Chapter Agreement over the last five years. Percent of Chapters in Compliance Agreement Requirements 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Quarterly Newsletters 87 86 85 80 43 Conduct Two Events 96 97 93 97 92 Chapter Leaders Conference Attendance 96 95 90 94 92 Financial Statements 100 99 100 99 96 Self-Assessment Report 94 89 91 86 81 Leadership Report 95 100 100 99 99 Multi-Year Plans - - 66 82 88 1
While these trends are generally positive, compliance with the chapter newsletter requirement dropped significantly in 2017. Compliance with the newsletter requirement is difficult for chapters and previous compliance was only achieved through aggressive follow up by staff. Further data obtained through our strategic planning efforts suggests that chapter leaders view the newsletter as an administrative burden that is difficult to complete given the limited time and resources of a volunteer driven workforce. As a result, additional resources and support will be focused on providing direct assistance that will help chapters effectively communicate with their members. As part of this foundation, ACHE provides chapters with a ten percent rebate of ACHE dues payments made by chapter members within the chapter territory. In 2018, ACHE provided a total rebate of over $885,000. Education and Networking Performance The Chapter Agreement contains a requirement for chapters to conduct a minimum of two education and two networking events per year. Education and networking events are a vital component of the value that chapters provide to their local members. As the following chart illustrates, there was consistent growth across all categories from 2013 through 2016. In 2017, there was a decrease in the total number of events, total attendees and mean attendance per event. Indicator 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Change Total Chapter Events 1,091 1,198 1,201 1,285 1,228 (4%) Total Attendees 62,013 67,510 80,244 97,263 85,161 (12%) Mean Attendees/Event 56.8 56.3 66.8 75.7 69.3 (8%) Total Attendee Hours 218,185 221,562 271,425 310,474 326,362 5% Total Education Attendee Hours (F2F and Qualified Education) 136,007 141,405 169,831 202,144 223,290 10% It is important to highlight several key points related to attendance and education attendee hours. If ACHE chapters partner on an event each can report the full number of hours and attendance on their chapter event report as long as each chapter is an active participant in the event planning and implementation. This duplication results in some inflation of attendee hour results, particularly for networking events. Upon closer inspection of event data several trends emerge that explain the decrease in events and attendees relative to the growth in attendee hours. First, while chapters did hold fewer events in 2017 many of these events were of longer duration than in past years thereby contributing to higher attendee hours. 2
There is some evidence that inconsistencies in the way chapters report their events may also be impacting these results. For instance, if a chapter has a six-hour event, with multiple breakout sessions, some chapters may report this as one, six-hour event while others may treat each breakout as separate (three events of 2 hours each). This issue will need further study in 2018 to determine a process to clarify and standardize reporting requirements. In 2017, a major priority for chapters was to provide at least seven hours of Face-to-Face Credit locally using Panel Discussion Templates and/or On Location programs. Provision of Face-to- Face Credit is a key value that chapters provide as it allows local ACHE members to earn the credits they need for advancement and recertification locally which is both more convenient and cost-effective. Chapters may offer, with ACHE approval, up to 12 hours of Face-to-Face Credit through Panel Discussion Templates. Multiple offerings of the same template do not count toward the 12-hour limit thereby encouraging chapters to repeat programs in dispersed locations within their chapter territory. In addition, chapters may sponsor ACHE-developed educational offerings similar to those offered through ACHE clusters through the On Location program which also do not count toward the 12-hour limit. Currently, there are 119 templates, on a wide range of educational topics, which chapters may use to offer Face-to-Face Credit. Below is a summary of template usage by chapters. Indicator 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Change Number of Panel Discussion Template offerings Number of chapters with offerings 316 366 423 454 511 13% 69 72 68 69 73 6% Number of attendees 15,528 19,326 21,094 22,255 23,801 7% Average attendance per offering 49 53 50 49 47 (4%) Trends since 2013 are positive except in the average attendance per offering category which has been decreasing slightly since 2014. Over this time period, chapters have made great efforts to offer Face-to-Face programs in the more geographically dispersed areas of their chapter. While being highly valued by the members in these areas, these programs may not draw high attendance which is one factor that may be contributing to the ongoing decrease in average attendance. The next chart shows that the total number of hours of Face-to-Face Credit offered by individual chapters is steadily rising since 2015. This chart also includes Face-to-Face hours offered via On Location Programs. 3
F2F Hours Offered Number of Chapters 2015 2016 2017 Percent of Number of Percent of Number Chapters Chapters Chapters of Percent of Chapters Chapters 0 hours 7 9% 6 8% 2 2% 1-6 hours 20 25% 17 22% 7 9% 7 12 hours 44 55% 43 54% 41 53% 12 + hours 9 11% 13 16% 28 36% Total 80 100% 79 100% 78 100% In 2017, almost 90% of chapters offered at least seven hours of Face-to-Face credit which is an indication of the increased ability of chapters to deliver value to their members. Performance Standards The ACHE Chapter Management and Awards Program is designed to recognize superior performance by chapters in education and networking, member satisfaction, net membership growth and member advancement. The awards standards are set for each of these four indicators based on the average of the 90th percentile of chapter performance in the prior three years. Chapters are recognized at different tiers based on the number of award standards they achieve in a given year and if they exceed at least one award standard for three consecutive years (sustained performance) as demonstrated in the table below. The following chart outlines the number of chapters achieving the various award tiers. The 2018 award year (which measures 2017 performance) is a record year for the total number of winners. A major contributor to this increase was the change in the advancement standards and the high number of Fellow applicants that had to advance to Fellow by December 31, 2017 or reapply. 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Chapter Merit Meets one of the four award standards Chapter Distinction Meets two of the four award standards Chapter Excellence Meets three of the four award standards Board of Governors Award Meets all four of the award standards 18 24 29 27 36 4 11 8 8 10 2 4 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 Total 26 39 38 36 48 4
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Sustained Chapter Excellence Meets three award standards for four consecutive years Sustained Chapter Performance Meets at least one of the four performance standards for three consecutive years 0 0 0 0 0 13 15 10 19 25 Sustaining Initiatives In 2017, various ACHE resources were deployed to support activities that enhance the ongoing ability of chapters to provide value to their members. Board Manuals A major initiative since 2014 has been to guide chapters in the development of a Board Manual. The Board Manual addresses four main components of chapter management that are essential to ensure that the chapter can maintain their operations. The four major components include position descriptions and organizational chart, nominating and recruiting process, board orientation and recognizing chapter leaders. As of December 31, 2017, 61 out of 78 chapters have a completed Board Manual. Ongoing efforts will be made to ensure that all chapters develop a board manual, continue to reference and update it as a way to ensure continuity of chapter operations. Chapter President Onboarding Based on key survey information and in depth interviews with chapter presidents, past presidents and presidents-elect additional methods of engaging, informing and recognizing our chapter presidents were identified. In 2017, we developed new onboarding initiatives including a threehour in-person orientation at the Chapter Leaders Conference and added an additional webinar hosted by past chapter presidents. To recognize our chapter presidents and their hard work, regional directors contact new chapter presidents by phone at the beginning of their term to thank them for their service. A chapter president s pin and a thank you note is sent to each new chapter president. Additionally, 2016 marked the inaugural survey of chapter presidents aimed at gaining their feedback from the perspective of being part of ACHE s workforce. This survey was conducted again in 2017. At least three years of data is necessary to accurately assess trends therefore more comprehensive trend analysis will appear in the 2019 Chapter Development report. In the interim, it is important to note that in 2017 the overall satisfaction with ACHE is 4.3 on a 5.0 scale. 5
Member Engagement In 2016, ACHE launched the Membership Engagement Pilot Program. The goal of the pilot is to identify and increase outreach activities of new members in the first 90 days. Seven chapters participated and focused on increasing membership engagement in their chapters through initiatives such as: welcome phone calls from board members, new membership guides, identifying and welcoming new members at events and a ninety-day follow up survey. ACHE s division of research has built an engagement score for each chapter, which is based on attendance and volunteering, and reporting is shared periodically to track progress. Pilot program chapters are sharing these initiatives via chapter webinars and the Chapter Leaders Conference. Membership Reinstatement New in 2017, ACHE engaged chapters in a joint effort to encourage lapsed members to reinstate their memberships. As a result, 2,327 Members and Fellows reinstated their membership by the end of 2017. Chapter Presidents rated ACHE s helpfulness in chapter efforts to reinstate members a 4.5 on a 5.0 scale. Satisfaction with Chapters and Regional Services Support Annually, ACHE conducts the Chapter Member Needs survey which provides both ACHE and chapters with valuable information on the level of satisfaction members have with their chapter. As shown below, overall member satisfaction with chapters is stable across the last four years with a slight increase in 2017. Indicator 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Change Member Satisfaction 3.65 3.81 3.83 3.82 3.85.8% Each year chapter presidents are asked to evaluate the services delivered by ACHE s Division of Regional Services by rating how helpful the assistance provided was and its overall effectiveness. Generally, the services provided to chapters by ACHE are rated highly, as is overall effectiveness, although opportunities exist to improve the level of support for chapter newsletters and websites. 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Approval of Face-to-Face and Qualified education events Orienting & directing you to resources for chapters 4.6 4.4 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.6 4.3 6
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Assistance with recruitment and advancement of members Assistance with the chapter newsletter 4.1 3.9 3.9 4.2 4.2 4.3 4.2 4.4 4.4 4.1 Assistance with the chapter website 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9 4.0 Overall effectiveness 4.6 4.7 4.5 4.5 4.4 Finally, ACHE delivered a number of specific services and benefits to chapter leaders in 2017: Conducted the fourteenth annual Chapter Leaders Conference in September 2017. Overall satisfaction with the conference was a 4.6 on a 5.0 scale which is one of the highest satisfaction scores recorded. Sixty-nine chapters had ACHE Recognition Program award recipients in their chapters in 2017. Ninety percent of the chapters presented the awards at a local event in 2017. ACHE awarded $9,000 to five chapters through Chapter Innovation Grants. These recipients presented the results of their projects at the 2017 Chapter Leaders Conference. Regional Directors visited 13 chapters in 2017. These visits focused on strategic planning activities and other operational improvements. Conclusion In summary, the relationship between ACHE and chapters continues to strengthen as chapters provide more programs, products and services to their members at the local level. ACHE is committed to strengthening this relationship into the future and our research suggests that chapters need our help in several key areas: Focus on Content: develop new and fresh topics and formats for education that allows more flexibility for chapters Recruitment and Retention: dedicate ACHE resources to help chapters make an impact in driving new members to ACHE as well as retaining the current membership Communications Support: provide direct support for creating and maintaining web and email communications By focusing efforts into these three areas, along with streamlining processes that are barriers for busy volunteers, ACHE is strengthening its relationship with chapters so they can provide the best value to those they serve. 7