APPLICATION TO SERVE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

GUIDE FOR NOMINEES

FOR ELECTION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

(Please note the 2010 Nomination Process is Now Closed)

The positions to be filled are:

• President-elect
• Directors – Three positions

The president-elect and directors will assume office on January 1, 2011. 

Descriptions of open positions:

President-elect:  The AHIMA president-elect serves a three-year term (the first year as president-elect, second year as president and the third year as past president).  The president chairs the board of directors, which governs the association, sets strategy, budget and maintains fiduciary oversight.  The president serves as an ex officio member of all volunteer groups and also chairs the House of Delegates.

Director:  The AHIMA director serves a three-year term.  The authority of the director derives from serving as a voting member of the Board of Directors.  Directors are also voting members of the House of Delegates.  The Board of Directors governs the association, sets strategy, budget and maintains fiduciary oversight. 

These positions also serve as liaisons to the Commission, Council, committees, task forces and affiliated organizations.  Members of the board are called upon to represent the association at meetings and to speak on behalf of AHIMA and the HIM profession.

Duties and Qualifications of the AHIMA Board of Directors:

Candidate Qualifications:

To qualify for candidacy for the AHIMA Board of Directors president-elect, individuals must be *Active members holding an AHIMA credential, and for director, Active members.  All should candidates are to demonstrate leadership skills and experience that reflect the attributes shown on page 5 of this Guide.  The Nominating Committee might seek candidates with certain types of skills or experience to complement those of continuing directors thereby strengthening the Board’s overall ability to govern and represent the interests of our diverse membership. Candidates for President-elect must have demonstrated leadership qualities and experience that demonstrates the ability to effectively chair a board of directors and be an accomplished communicator.  

Term of Office and Time Commitment

The President-elect serves on AHIMA's Board of Directors for three years -- the first year as President-elect, the second year as President, and the third year as Past President.  Directors also serve a three-year term.  Members of the Board of Directors attend five board meetings, participate in conference calls, and attend the annual Leadership Conference and Annual Convention. The president-elect and directors may attend committee, and council meetings and may be called on to represent AHIMA at alliance or component state association meetings.  The president and president-elect devote an average of four hours per week to AHIMA, Directors devote two hours per week.

*Active members are described as “individuals interested in the AHIMA purpose and will to abide by the Code of Ethics.”

Select the "Elected Groups" section of the "Application to Serve."

Application to Serve – Board of Directors

President-elect

Duties:

AHIMA membership, during its annual election, names a new president who serves a three-year term in the following capacities: the first year as president-elect, the second year as president, and the third year as past president. Throughout these three years the individual’s responsibilities are outlined in the position description for an individual director of the AHIMA board, along with additional responsibilities specific to the role of president-elect. Some of those varied duties are listed below.  Therefore, the position description for the president-elect is actually comprised of both the position description for an individual member and these supplemental responsibilities:

• Chairs board meetings in the president’s absence
• Serves on the Governance Team of the Board of Directors
• Works closely with the president in order to ensure continuity is kept from one year to the next; this may involve the president-elect attending:
• certain council, committee, or task force meetings, if:
• The president-elect will benefit from a first-hand understanding of the council/committee’s functions
• Issues to be discussed are of a critical nature requiring close Board coordination
• The president, executive vice president or Board Liaison requests the presence of the president-elect
• CSA meetings, as requested
• Meetings of other associations or groups

(The president-elect will coordinate invitations with the president and the executive vice president and handle assignments that are feasible, given one’s job commitments, personal interests and AHIMA’s needs)

• Meets with the president and executive vice president to develop the calendar of association activities, including:
• Reminding state president of AHIMA’s need for nominees for council/committee appointments and for nominees for the following year’s ballot
• Nominating appointees for committee/task force chairpersons and members (for the year coinciding with the president-elect’s term of office as president) as indicated by the Bylaws, procedures and/or strategic plan;
• Preparing (with the Executive Vice President) the agenda for the Strategic Work Session

• Participates in the Leadership Conference, designated Team Talks, and the Annual Convention
• Delivers incoming presidential address at convention
• Assumes the duties of the president in the event the president is unable to perform
  

Application to Serve – Board of Directors

Director

Duties:

The authority of the director derives from serving as a voting member of the Board of Directors.  Individual directors have no special privileges, prerogatives, or authority apart from the whole.  At the same time, being a director of AHIMA and member of its Board of Directors is a special trust, and individual directors are expected to meet high standards of personal conduct on behalf of AHIMA.  This position description outlines these special obligations of Board service.  It is intended for use in conjunction with the Position Description of the AHIMA Board of Directors to clarify the special obligations of serving the members of AHIMA in this most important of roles.

General Expectations

• Understand and articulate AHIMA’s mission, vision, values, strategies, policies, programs, services, and strengths.
• Perform duties of board membership responsibly and uphold the values of the Association.
• Suggest possible nominees for the board, councils, committees, and task forces and submit names of individuals who should be recognized through awards and other forms of recognition.
• Support an atmosphere in which every member of the board can actively and fully participate.
• Mentor future leaders of the Association.
• Serve in leadership positions and undertake special assignments willingly and enthusiastically.
• Represent the Association when called upon to do so.
• Become informed about and follow relevant trends in healthcare and HIM.
• Refer matters of potential significance to the president and the chief executive officer.
• Bring goodwill and a sense of humor to the board’s deliberations.
• Express opinions for the good of the Association, rather than to advance one’s personal agenda.
• Communicate between regularly scheduled meetings, by
• Participating in conference calls collectively or as part of a team
• Monitoring the board of directors Community of Practice on a weekly basis
• Answering correspondence promptly

Liaison Roles and Special Assignments

To the extent feasible, the director is expected to help advance the work of the Association and its good will by,

• Serving on one of the board teams and on special subcommittees as assigned.
• Serving as a delegate to the House of Delegates.
• Speaking to groups of members at component state association or other meetings, as requested.
• Serving as liaison from the board of directors to committees, councils, task forces and other bodies.
• Representing AHIMA with alliance and other groups.

Board of Directors

Meetings

• Prepare for and participate in board, team, committee and other meetings, including Team Talks, Leadership Conference, and the Annual Meeting.
• Ask timely and substantive questions at board, committee and other meetings consistent with your conscience and convictions, while supporting the majority decision on issues decided by the board.
• Maintain confidentiality of the board’s executive sessions and speak for the board or AHIMA only when authorized to do so.

Avoiding Conflicts

• Serve AHIMA as a whole rather than any special interest group or constituency.
• Avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest that might embarrass the board or AHIMA and disclose any possible conflicts to the board in a timely fashion.
• Maintain independence and objectivity and do what a sense of fairness, ethics, and personal integrity dictate.
• Understand fully comply with, and adhere to the terms and spirit of AHIMA’s conflicts and dualities and confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements.

Fiduciary Responsibilities

• Exercise prudence with the board in the control, transfer, and investment of funds.
• Consider the impact of each recommendation and decision on AHIMA’s mission and resources.
• Adhere to expense guidelines and expense reporting procedures
• Read and understand the AHIMA financial statements and status, and otherwise help the board fulfill its fiduciary responsibility.

Fundraising

• Give an annual gift to the AHIMA Foundation according to personal means
• Assist the Foundation and staff by supporting fundraising strategies through personal influence with others (corporations, individuals, and foundations).

Board of Directors

AHIMA Board of Directors Candidate Desired Attributes

All directors are expected to have high ethical standards in both personal and professional decision-making and acting in the best interest of the Association.  The following areas of expertise would add extra value:  research or analytical/legal, large company, international business, political or policy experience, strong financial background, payer, data/content standards/quality/pay for performance, marketing.  Nominee should have experience in alliance appointments, or a history of development of CSA relationships.  Desired work settings: physician practice; educators or dean; governance experience; large healthcare corporation; diversity in age/youth; ethnicity and gender.  The following characteristics are highly desired. Examples of each are given below.

Specific Attributes for 2011 Candidates

Potential candidates should have experience or special knowledge in at least one of the following practice-related areas:

• Educators
• International experience
• HIE
• Government
• Coding
• Public Sector
• Research
• Industry Roles (ie. Walgreens)

 Other desirable attributes:

• Business acumen
• Multinational perspective

Board of Directors

Expected Commitments from Board Members:

          If you agree to be considered as a nominee for an officer or director position with AHIMA, you should be aware of the following criteria.

• Term of service –board members serve a three-year term.
• Officers and directors are expected to attend:

• Four board meetings, AHIMA Convention and Exhibit and several conference calls throughout the year.
• One Winter Team Talks meeting in the Spring (March) and the Summer Team Talks and Leadership Conference in the Summer (July)

• Each board member is assigned to serve as a liaison to several AHIMA committees or task forces and will participate in any of their meetings or conference calls.
• Each board member is assigned to serve as a liaison to several of AHIMA’s CSA with the expectation that they will attend CSA events in addition to regularly communicating with their assigned CSA president.

Timeline for the 2010 Nomination and Election Process:

• January 29                       Deadline for Call for Nomination form by close of business
• February/March             Nominating Committee to review nominations
• February/March             Nominating Committee to conduct telephone interviews with nominees and confirm candidates
• March                              Candidates provide profile and other information for the AHIMA ballot to appear in the June Journal
• May 24 - June 4              Candidate Community of Practice is open to the members for online discussion with candidates                                         (two weeks) – subject to change
• June 7- June25              Polls Open for voting – subject to change
• By Mid- July                     Announcement of the 2010 AHIMA Election Results

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