REGION 7
OPERATING AGREEMENT
The
purposes of Region 7 Operating Agreement are:
• To
assist chapter leaders in serving members through regional planning and the
improvement of chapter management practices.
• To
foster dialogue and effective communications between National and chapter levels of HFMA.
• To
represent the needs and interests
of chapter leaders to the HFMA Board and management.
• To
encourage chapters to collaborate and help other chapters through regional planning.
Region
7 is composed of the following chapters:
First Illinois Indiana Pressler Memorial
Wisconsin Southern Illinois
McMahon-Illini
Term: Regional
Executives serve a one-year term beginning June 1 of each year. Regional
Executives may not serve two consecutive terms as Regional Executives, but may
be involved in another National position in years subsequent to or prior to
services as Regional Executives.
Selection: Regional
Executives are elected by
chapter president-elects at the Leadership Training Conference (LTC) held in
the year prior to their term of office. Regional Executives may be elected
earlier than this, but all elections must be held no later than the Leadership
Training Conference. All nominations must be received by the current
Regional Executives and the National office in advance of the election.
The nomination of the
Regional Executives will be provided by the designated chapter based upon the
following rotation schedule:
CHAPTER CHAPTER YEAR CHAPTER YEAR CHAPTER YEAR
Indiana
Pressler Memorial 2001/2002 2006/2007 2011/2012
McMahon-Illini 2002/2003 2007/2008 2012/2013
First Illinois 2003/2004 2008/2009 2013/2014
Wisconsin 2004/2005 2009/2010 2014/2015
Southern Illinois 2005/2006 2010/2011 2015/2016
Should the chapter in
their rotation year fail to nominate a qualified candidate; the next immediate
chapter in the rotation schedule will be bypassed to prevent a chapter from
having two consecutive years of eligibility. The next subsequent chapter will be eligible to
nominate a candidate for that chapter year. If that chapter fails to nominate a
candidate, the next chapter in the
rotation schedule will be eligible to nominate a candidate. For example, if
Wisconsin fails to nominate a candidate for the chapter year 2004/2005, the
Southern Illinois Chapter (the next immediate chapter) will be bypassed and
Indiana Pressler Memorial Chapter (the next subsequent chapter) will have the opportunity. This process will
continue in the chapter rotation order until a candidate is nominated. This
will allow the chapter rotation order to remain in tact.
A
Regional Executive Nominee must meet the following eligibility requirements:
• The nominee must be an Advanced Member or National Life Member in good
standing at the time of nomination.
• The nominee must have served at least two years as a chapter officer
(elected position and/or appointed due to filling of an officer vacancy).
• The nominee may not serve concurrently as a chapter officer during their
term as Regional Executive, excluding the position of immediate past president.
The Regional Executive -elect may serve as a chapter officer during their term
as Regional Executive -elect.
• The nominee may not be from the same chapter as the Regional Executive
who held the position in the year immediately
prior to the nominee.
• The nominee must make a commitment to meet the responsibilities of their
position and be knowledgeable about chapter and Association matters.
The Regional Executive role
The Regional Executive
has primary responsibility for most of the operational aspects of the regional
executive program. This involves
monitoring the performance of chapters within the region, convening and
organizing meetings of the regional leadership as required, maintaining
communications with the
chapters in the region, and representing the needs and interests of the
region’s chapter leaders on the National Advisory Council (NAC). Refer
to Appendix A for additional detail concerning the Regional Executive responsibilities.
The Regional Executive
-elect plays a supportive role to the efforts of the Regional Executive and spends much of the
year preparing to lead the region during the term of office as Regional Executive. The Regional Executive -elect augments and
bolsters the activities of the Regional
Executive by attending meetings, helping the
Regional Executive monitor chapter activities, and assisting with the
ongoing communications process within the region. Refer to Appendix A for additional detail concerning the Regional Executive-elect responsibilities.
The assigned board member
serves as a resource to chapter leaders on the National perspective of an issue
and takes a strong interest in the perspectives of chapter leaders regarding
these issues. This should not be taken
as a representational role. While the
board member has an obligation to listen to and convey the views of chapter
leaders within the region, the board member has no obligation to advocate or
vote for the views of the chapter leadership within the region. The National board member represents all
individual members since it is the members who elect the board member. By representing individual members the board
member represents and is responsible to the entire Association. Refer to Appendix A for additional detail
concerning the assigned board members responsibilities.
• Each chapter will submit to the Regional Executive, Regional Executive -elect, and Board member
their membership directory.
• The Regional Executive,
Regional Executive -elect and Board member will be included on the chapter’s
mailing list.
• Invite Regional Executive, Regional Executive -elect and, Board member to
at least one chapter meeting (preferably Annual Meeting) or Board meeting.
• Each chapter will submit to the Regional Executive, Regional Executive
-elect and Board member the chapter’s newsletter, meeting brochures, board
minutes, and chapter survey summaries.
• Provide meeting date information to chapter presidents of Region 7 to be
included in chapter membership directory. If not available at time of membership publication to be submitted to chapters for inclusion in
chapter newsletter.
The host chapter will be
responsible for determining the location of the Fall Presidents Meeting and
arranging the facility requirements, logistics and social events based upon the
following rotation schedule:
HOST CHAPTER CHAPTER
YEAR CHAPTER YEAR CHAPTER YEAR
Indiana Pressler Memorial 2001/2002 2006/2007 2011/2012
McMahon-Illini 2002/2003 2007/2008 2012/2013
First Illinois 2003/2004 2008/2009 2014/2015
Wisconsin 2004/2005 2009/2010 2015/2016
Southern Illinois 2005/2006 2010/2011 2016/2017
Meeting expenses for meals, refreshments, and social events will be
paid by the host chapter. The
National organization shall provide for the meeting expenses of the Fall
Presidents Meeting, including room rentals and meals up to a maximum of $500.
Reimbursement for
Regional Executive. Regional
Executive-elect and Board Member
• The
travel and expenses
of the Regional Executive, Regional Executive-elect, and the Board member are
paid by National for Leadership Training Conference and Fall Presidents Meeting
that they are required to attend.
• The travel and expenses of the Regional Executive and Board member are
paid by National for the Annual Chapter Presidents Meeting and the National
Advisory Council Meetings which they are required to attend.
• National
will pay the travel and expenses of Board member for board meetings they are
required to attend.
• The
National organization will facilitate an opportunity for the region to meet
during the Leadership Training Conference and the Annual National Institute at no cost to the region, excluding meals and
refreshments.
• Travel and expenses of the Regional Executive, Regional Executive-elect and Board member are paid by the chapter for meetings they are requested to attend (i.e. board meetings, educational sessions, installation of officers, annual chapter meeting).
• Chapters
will “waive” the education fee for the
Regional Executive, Regional Executive-elect, Board member, chapter presidents,
and president-elects to encourage their attendance at chapter meetings outside
of their “home” chapter.
• Travel
and expenses of the Regional
Executive, Regional Executive-elect,
Board member, and chapter officers for attendance at regional meetings, are
paid by that person’s “home” chapter.
Other Regional Matters
• At the Fall Presidents Meeting (FPM) the Regional Executive and Regional
Executive-elect will survey the chapters as to the need for
a regional meeting of chapter officers to be held subsequent to FPM. If
required, the Regional Executive and Regional Executive-elect in conjunction
with the chapter presidents and president-elects will determine the date, time,
and location for the regional meeting. The Regional Executive and Regional
Executive-elect will be responsible for all logistical arrangements and preparation of the
agenda.
• During the
regional sessions at the Leadership Training Conference (LTC) the Regional
Executive and Regional
Executive-elect will survey the chapters to determine if they need to meet at
the Annual National Institute (ANI) to further discuss regional or National
issues.
• Each chapter shall have the right to cast one
vote on regional business at the LTC, FPM,
Annual Chapter Presidents Meeting, and Regional Meeting. The vote shall be
cast by the President or their designated representative.
• The Regional Executive and
Regional Executive-elect will determine at LTC if the chapters desire to
support a nominee from Region 7 to serve on the National Nominating Committee. If a nominee is selected the Regional Executive and Regional Executive-elect will request support
from the other regions and provide a resume of Region 7’s nominee.
• The chapters have determined that
further study is necessary on the development of a regional treasury. The
chapters believe there is a benefit to doing more on a regional basis (i.e.
regional educational meeting, mini-LTC at the regional level), but are
uncertain as to the necessity of a regional treasury.
• The Regional Executive and
Regional Executive-elect will determine at the FPM if the chapters desire to support a nominee for the Board and Officer positions. Nominees names will be
submitted to National by the Regional Executive indicating support from Region
7.
• The Region 7 Operating Agreement
will be reviewed annually at the Fall Presidents Meeting and if necessary
updated/revised.
The following chapter
leaders accept the terms and conditions
of this Agreement on behalf of
their chapters and/or their position with HFMA.
____________________________ _____________________________
First
Illinois President Date Indiana
Pressler Memorial Date
__________________________
___________________________
Wisconsin President
Date Southern
Illinois President Date
__________________________
McMahon-Illini President Date
APPENDIX A
Regional
Executive Program Policy and Procedures
Purpose
The purposes of HFMA’s Regional Executive
program are:
·
To serve as the primary volunteer and
policy link between the chapters and HFMA National;
·
To assist chapter leaders in serving
members;
·
To foster a dialogue and effective
communications between the National and chapter levels of HFMA;
·
To represent the needs and interests of
chapter leaders to the HFMA Board and management, and
·
To encourage chapters to collaborate and
help other chapters.
To administer the processes that accomplish
these purposes, chapters select a Regional Executive each year. In addition, the HFMA Chairman assigns
elected Board members to individual regions for communication purposes. By selecting the Regional Executive at the
Leadership Training Conference (LTC) during the year prior to the beginning of
that individual’s term, the region effectively benefits from two leaders of the
region, the Regional Executive and the Regional Executive-elect. In each region, therefore, a Regional
Executive and a Regional Executive-elect are jointly responsible for the
success of the Regional Executive program.
General Roles
While both the Regional Executive and the
Regional Executive-elect are responsible for the success of HFMA's Regional
Executive program, they have different, yet complementary, roles. These roles differ somewhat between regions
as individual regions have developed activities specific to their region. It is also useful to consider the general
roles played by other important participants in the Regional Executive program.
The Regional Executive role. The Regional Executive
Council will serve as the primary link between the chapters and HFMA
National. The Regional Executive Council
has all authority related to those activities that impact chapters other than
dues and other policies that are reserved by the HFMA National Board of
Directors. This involves policy making
and compliance authority as it relates to the Davis Chapter Management System
(DCMS), monitoring the performance of chapters within the region, convening and
organizing meetings of the regional leadership, maintaining communications with
the chapters in the region, and representing the needs and interests of the
region's chapter leaders on the Regional Executive Council (REC).
The Regional Executive-elect role. The Regional
Executive-elect supports the efforts of the Regional Executive and spends much
of the year preparing to lead the region during the term of office as Regional
Executive. The Regional Executive-elect
augments and bolsters the activities of the Regional Executive by attending meetings,
helping the Regional Executive to monitor chapter activities, and assisting
with the ongoing communications process within the region.
The regionally
assigned Board member role. The regionally assigned Board
member serves as a resource to chapter leaders on the national perspective of
an issue. While the Board member has an
obligation to listen to and convey the views of chapter leaders within the
assigned region, the Board member has no obligation to advocate or vote for the
views of the chapter leadership within the assigned region. The HFMA National Board member represents all
individual members since it is the members who elect the Board member. By representing individual members, the Board
member represents and is responsible to the entire Association.
The staff role. HFMA has a responsibility to assist the
Regional Executive, Regional Executive-elect, and the regionally assigned Board
member in the performance of their duties.
This involves logistical support when requested, information and
consultation on chapter and regional matters, information support on chapter
performance, training support, and other activities to help the Regional
Executive, Regional Executive-elect, and Board member be successful.
Selection and Term of the Regional Executive
Term.
Regional Executives serve a one-year term beginning on June 1 of each
year. Regional Executives may not serve
two consecutive terms as Regional Executive, but they may be involved in
another national position in years subsequent to or prior to service as a
Regional Executive.
Selection. Regional Executives are elected by chapter
presidents-elect prior to or during the LTC held in the year prior to their
term of office. Regional Executives may
be elected earlier than this, but all elections must be held no later than the
LTC. All nominations must be received by
the current Regional Executive and the HFMA National office in advance of the
election. Procedures for nomination and
election of the Regional Executive that meet the requirements specified in this
policy may be established by the region.
Eligibility. A Regional Executive nominee must meet the
following eligibility requirements:
·
The nominee must be an advanced member or
National Life Member in good standing at the time of nomination;
·
The nominee must have served at least two
years as a chapter officer in an elected position;
·
The nominee may not serve concurrently as
a chapter officer during their term as Regional Executive, excluding the
position of immediate past chapter president. A Regional Executive-elect
however, may serve as a chapter officer during their term as Regional
Executive-elect;
To be successful as a Regional Executive, an
individual must be knowledgeable about chapter and Association matters, have
demonstrated abilities as an HFMA leader through recent chapter and/or national
involvement, be an effective communicator, be genuinely interested in future
involvement in National leadership, have the ability to make a commitment to
meet the responsibilities of the position, and be a knowledgeable and astute
professional in healthcare financial management. These qualities should be considered by
chapter leaders when selecting a nominee and when electing the Regional Executive.
Regional Operating
Agreements
Each region must have an operating agreement
that is adhered to by all of the chapters in the region to ensure continuity in
the implementation of regional activities and to implement the regional
executive program policy as approved by the HFMA Board of Directors. This agreement must specify procedures for
the selection of the Regional Executive and the assigned duties of the Regional
Executive and Regional Executive-elect within the Regional Executive program
policy as approved by the HFMA Board of Directors. The agreement may also specify procedures for
regional treasuries, determining the locations of Fall Presidents Meetings,
financing chapter visits by the Regional Executive or Regional Executive-elect,
or other matters as agreed to by the chapters of the region. The regional operating agreement may not
specify responsibilities for the regionally assigned Board member beyond those
specified in the Regional Executive program policy approved by the HFMA Board
of Directors. A copy of the regional
operating agreement must be placed on file with HFMA National.
Financing Regional
Activities
The travel and expenses of the Regional
Executive and the regionally assigned Board member are paid for by HFMA
National for the LTC, Fall Presidents Meetings (FPMs), Annual Chapter
Presidents meeting (ACPM), and Regional Executive Council meetings that they
are required to attend. The travel and expenses of the Regional Executive-elect
are paid for by HFMA National for the LTC and FPMs that they are required to
attend. Specific policies governing
these expenses may apply to certain of these activities. Generally, the policy is to provide for the
travel and expenses necessary to carry out the activity.
Visits by HFMA National Board members, Regional
Executive-elect, and Regional Executives to individual chapters are generally
paid for by the chapter. The payment of
these expenses are subject to the operating agreement of the region. HFMA National will not pay the expenses of a
Regional Executive or HFMA National Board member to attend any other regional
meetings beyond those specified in this policy.
Attendance at regional meetings conducted in conjunction with any of the
paid trips is encouraged.
HFMA National shall provide for the meeting
expenses of the Fall Presidents Meetings, including room rentals and meals, up
to a maximum of $500 per region. HFMA
National will facilitate an opportunity for the region to meet during the LTC
and the Annual National Institute (ANI) at no cost to the region, excluding
meals and refreshments.
Specific
Responsibilities and Coordination
The specific responsibilities of the Regional
Executive, Regional Executives-elect, the regionally assigned Board member and
HFMA management are presented in the chart following this section. While these expectations are clearer and more
specific than the general roles stated above, it is recognized that many gray
areas still exist. In particular, the
expectations of an individual region for its Regional Executive or Regional
Executive-elect are not addressed because these differ throughout the chapter
network and should be addressed in regional operating agreements. Regions are encouraged to make their specific
responsibilities clear in the regional operating agreement so that all those
involved are aware of what is expected of them.
Beyond the regional expectations, considerable
flexibility exists in how the Regional Executive and Regional Executive-elect
may carry out their general roles and specific responsibilities. Regional Executives and Regional
Executives-elect are encouraged to negotiate and agree upon who will do
what. This will ensure that all of the
important functions of the Regional Executive program will be performed without
unnecessary duplication of effort.
Regional
Executive-elect Training and Preparation
HFMA will provide tools and training to Regional
Executives-elect to help them efficiently and effectively perform their duties
as Regional Executive under this policy.
The training begins shortly after the Regional Executive is elected
during their term as Regional Executive-elect.
It is useful to view this process in a sequential schedule.
April
Regional
Executive-elect is elected at the LTC and is placed on the Notes from National (NfN) distribution
list, and receives a Calendar/Resource Guide from HFMA National staff.
June Regional Executive-elect receives a
Regional Executive “Tool Box” from staff (includes regional operating
agreement, Regional Executive program policy, training schedule, and chapter
performance data).
July
Regional
Executive-elect oriented by HFMA National staff to the Regional Executive-elect
role at Fall Presidents Meetings (FPMs) via conference call. Regional Executive contacts Regional
Executive-elect to review regional responsibilities as defined in the regional
operating agreement.
August Regional
Executive-elect participates in conference call, coordinated by HFMA National
staff, regarding the FPM agenda.
August- Regional
Executive-elect attends FPM to orient self to the regional issues (also takes
September minutes,
etc.)
February Regional
Executive-elect participates in conference calls, coordinated by HFMA National
staff, to review roles and expectations for the Leadership Training Conference.
April Regional
Executive-elect participates in a training session, conducted by HFMA National
staff, to gain facilitation and assessment skills and to review upcoming issues
and chapter development priorities.
June Regional Executive-elect becomes the
Regional Executive.
Policy Management
This policy is established by the authority of
the HFMA Board of Directors.
Responsibility for implementation of the policy resides with the
individuals named in the policy. Changes
to the policy may be recommended by the Regional Executive Council subject to
the approval of the HFMA Board of Directors.