Hello,
I want to start by thanking those individuals that have advanced the health administration and health policy field by contributing their time and talents to AUPHA. This association is successful precisely because of the involvement of our members. A couple of updates-
Under the leadership of Jaime Stephens and Dr. Dan Gentry, we have strengthened our relationship with our sister associations. Guided by a clear recognition of our respective strengths and spheres of influence, over the last 18 months we have reaffirmed a shared commitment to partner with the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Hospital Association, the Medical Group Management Association, AcademyHealth, the Academy of Management - Health Care Management Division, the National Association of Health Services Executives, and the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives. We will continue to actively seek out partnerships that benefit all of our member programs.
As many of you have seen, the biennial AUPHA Environmental Scan and Trends Report has been completed and shared with members. This important tool is intended to aid programs in the monitoring of trends within the health administration and policy fields as well as higher education more generally. We continue to make progress on the Body of Knowledge (BOK) and are on track to share both the BOK and the associated curriculum guidance by early next year.
At the most recent meeting, the AUPHA Board approved actions to begin addressing faculty pipeline challenges. Whether it is a seasoned executive or an early careerist just starting their doctoral studies, AUPHA is looking to establish a relationship that spans their involvement in health management and policy education. This includes expanded benefits targeting doctoral education - namely, the addition of a session at the Annual Meeting targeting doctoral students, a doctoral student discussion group, doctoral student registration rates, and extension of the Foster G. McGaw scholarships to include doctoral students. Furthermore, the association will be launching the Art of Teaching Institute in the near future. Open to all members, the teaching program is being designed by experts in their respective fields and will be taught by recognized, master teachers to help our faculty be even more effective.
A concerted effort has also been made to expand the recognition of remarkable faculty. In addition to the William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research, the Gary L. Filerman Prize for Educational Leadership, the John D. Thompson Prize, and the more recent Glandon Family Scholarship for Advancement of Healthcare Management Education, new awards have been added. These include the Quint Studer Gratitude Prize for Teaching Excellence and jointly sponsored recognition of Teaching Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Social Justice (Better Together- ACHE, IFDHE, NAHSE, NALHE, and AUPHA), in Healthcare Management and Leadership (ACHE), and in Health Policy (AHA).
As an association, we are continually looking to generate additional value for our members regardless of setting, modality, accreditation, specialty, or degree. We have experienced significant growth over the last 24 months and have added 38 new programs over that time frame. However, the success of this growth is predicated on meeting our member programs wherever they may be. As a result, the association is working to build out a portfolio of AUPHA benefits that span the diverse needs of our member programs. To maintain this positive momentum, it is also critical that the organization maintain and move toward greater inclusivity for individuals and programs.
It has been a pleasure to work with you over the last year and I look forward to seeing many of you in Salt Lake City!
-Jason