The Georgia Scroll
April 1998

President's Message
Pat H. Hamby, FHFMA

The 1997-98 Chapter year is almost at an end. Oh, so much to do; so many people to thank; so many letters to write; so little time!

As you know, the theme I selected for this year was "Education - The Cornerstone for Success". We wanted to provide quality education to assist each of you in excelling in your current job and prepare you for other opportunities that might come your way. I believe that on May 31, 1998 when this HFMA year is over, you will have to say we met this goal. A huge THANK YOU goes to every person who helped to make this a reality – from the initial planning of an educational seminar to the filing of the educational reports to national. You all are to be commended for an excellent job!!

We also wanted to focus on member services - not only increasing our membership but also retaining our existing membership base. Jonathan Fite and the Membership Recruitment/Retention Team have done a fantastic job in this effort. Lil Klooch and the Public Relation Team must also be recognized for their diligent work in establishing our job referral program, promoting HFMA within the community, and the efforts of starting an internship program for students who are interested in the healthcare profession. Greg Clark and the Professional Development Team have provided excellent training courses for you this year to prepare you for the national certification exams. How many of you go for a full week without picking up your membership directory? Every time you pick it up you should think of Terri Tillery and the Membership Directory Team. They dedicated many, many hours in producing this exceptional directory. To all those who served on one of the Membership Services Teams under the direction of Board Member Becky Black –Thank you!! Your contributions have played a significant role in furthering the activities of the Georgia Chapter.

A third focus for the year was that of diversification and integration. Under the leadership of Rick Langosch, Lloyd Feiler and Mike Cobb and their Team, we have had a number of successful activities. Some of these include jointly sponsored educational sessions with the Georgia Society of CPAs, the Georgia Health Policy Center, the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians; the Georgia Society for Internal Medicine, plus a host of others. Thank you for all your hard work and perseverance!!

Mary Dawson and the Practice Management Team, through their surveying efforts, have provided a base line for future educational initiatives with the Georgia Medical Group Management Association. This was a huge step toward furthering the directive to us from the National Association. Great Job!!

Thank you also goes to Debbie Kolb who headed up the Forum Teams this year. This was a new approach to managing our workshops; and, she has done an excellent job in this endeavor!!

The Quality Council, under the direction of Board Member Meg Schley, has also been extremely busy this year. Cynthia Perley and the DCMS Team are responsible for making sure all our reports get filed with the National Office timely. This is certainly no small task given the number of activities we have had during the year! Thank you for a wonderful job! Tammy Herndon and the Survey Team have worked extremely hard in putting together a survey that has been mailed to all chapter members. Are we doing things right; where do we need to improve; are we meeting your professional needs? If you haven’t already responded, please do so. We need your input!

Our ProAction! Teams under the direction of Tommy McBride,

Cal Calhoun and Bill Hannah are also to be commended for the work they have done. They have worked on the federal level, setting up interviews between Congressional leaders and providers on the fraud and abuse issues, and on the state level in meeting the Department of Medical Assistance on issues of prime importance to financial managers across the state. Fantastic work!!

Cynthia Nesson and the Managed Care Handbook Team have been working extremely hard to produce the Managed Care Handbook. It is called Managed Care Perspectives: A Series of Reference Tools for the Healthcare Professional; and, I believe you will all be impressed with this exceptional resource material.

I would also be remiss if I did not say a huge THANK YOU to our corporate sponsors. Their contributions allow us to provide quality educational programs; quality publications; quality services at affordable prices.

At the recently held Winter Meeting, the CPAR folks were entertained by a gifted speaker and state legislator, Brooks Coleman, from Gwinnett County. Brooks gave us his formula for success. Although I haven’t the space to reflect on his entire presentation, I did want to mention his comments on what provides a good foundation for success. According to Brooks, it is imperative you know your ABCs. "A" is for ATTITUDE – it is the most important thing anyone can have, even more important than ability! "B" is for BELIEF – in yourself and in your family. "C" is for commitment – know what you believe in and then commit to it! Become a dream maker – catch the dream and make it happen!

That’s what you all have done for me this year – you have made a dream come true! You have worked diligently – giving of yourself, your time (when you had none to spare), your talents in providing educational sessions, attending conferences; producing materials; promoting HFMA; and serving as a mentor to others. You have truly made the Georgia Chapter theme a reality! I sincerely thank you for allowing me to serve as your President for 1997-98!

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Last modified: June 22, 2001