Blogs

Dear Colleagues:

The work of AUPHA continues to roll forward amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and other compelling environmental concerns. Quint Studer’s Resilience and Well-being in Stressful Times: A Tool Kit for Health Administration Educators, made available to each of you last week, is a timely gift from a good and longtime friend of AUPHA. The tool kit will help you assess your overall well-being and take better care of yourself and those around you. Please put this tool kit to use!

Our President/CEO Dan Gentry, and I have written and spoken much in recent months of the AUPHA Board’s desire and intent to be more open, more inclusive—and to grow and expand the membership and national/global reach of AUPHA. Our vision is to be recognized as the global leader in advancing higher education and scholarship in healthcare management and health policy. We will do this, in part, by seeking to reduce restrictions to opportunities for membership and standing in our Association, and by seeking to associate more fully with our colleagues in the medical, business, and allied health fields—many of whom share our interest in and commitment to healthcare management and health policy education and research.

The AUPHA board and staff remain focused on developing and implementing our new strategic plan. The major pillars or themes of that plan are compelling and thrilling to me. They directly address our commitment to strengthening our programs and faculty, and elevating our collective voice and standing in the profession.

In my view, leadership/faculty development is the most important work of our association. Strong leaders and faculty build and sustain strong academic programs. I am especially excited about our efforts to develop the AUPHA Art of Teaching Institute and to more formally recognize and honor teaching excellence by health administration faculty.

 It has been well over 8 months since COVID-19 caused Americans everywhere to tap, then slam the brakes on life as we know it.  While we all wish the Coronavirus would pass more quickly, it’s evident it will linger longer.

Since mid-March COVID-19 has helped me learn, or re-learn, many new things, including:

1. I can sing Happy Birthday (2x) really fast while I wash my hands;
2. I am grateful for technology—especially when it works;
3. With structure, discipline, and a quiet environment, I can work very effectively at home;
4. More than ever before, I appreciate the beauty and fresh air of the great outdoors;
5. I really miss my grandkids, colleagues, and friends—even the few I used to avoid;
6. I really dislike wearing a mask, but wear one anyway;
7. I have undying respect for our frontline healthcare workers—they are the real heroes of our day;
8. I don’t miss shaking hands, but I do miss giving and receiving an occasional embrace;
9. COVID-19 remains a serious threat to your health and mine;
10. The nasty politics that envelope and consume our national and local response to the Coronavirus have not been helpful;
11. There remains a great need for humility on everyone’s part—not one of us, nor all of us combined, have all the answers.
12. I am reminded of this counsel from an unknown source: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you in trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
13. Virtual meetings are usually more efficient and often more effective than in-person ones;
14. In-person meetings need to really count! … and finally;
15. Our AUPHA colleagues individual and collective resilience and performance throughout this lingering pandemic has been and remains impressive!

Finally, a word about the upcoming election. I certainly hope each of you will exercise your precious right to vote on November 3^rd. I also implore each of you to do your part to help your community and our country regain the civility that should prevail in our political discourse and debate. I also urge each of us to lead out in abandoning attitudes of racism and prejudice, and to model humanity and mutual respect in all our words and actions.  Let’s be truly exemplary in these ways!

Tracy J. Farnsworth
Chair, AUPHA Board of Directors