"Swan Song"

I recognize it's cliché to say "time flies when you're having fun," but that's how I feel. These past 18 months have been filled with lasting memories and dynamic opportunities. It has been a joy and honor to serve as your chair. As I approach the final days of my presidency, all I can say is thank you. Thank you for standing by and promoting the SIG and helping us to develop and implement programs that drive member value.

I remember when I first contacted Erica MacIntyre in January 2004 (she was director of membership at the time) about helping out on a committee, I had no idea that it would take me on a rapid journey to leading this remarkable organization. Since joining the board in April 2004, I have witnessed an evolution that has resulted in our membership more than doubling in size, launching our education program that's now free for members, improving member communications, increasing reporting and transparency and transforming from an organization where board members perform a majority of the work to filling more than 90 percent of committee vacancies. That's dynamic progress and I thank my fellow directors, the committee members and those of you who provided guidance and input. It has truly made a difference. It's about teamwork and I have worked with an outstanding team.

As the baton passes to Michele Mills, I can wholeheartedly report that the membership has a terrific team in place for 2007 and beyond. Michele is dynamite and has proven herself ready to lead. I look forward to shifting to the role of past-president and helping her next year.

Before I conclude, I would like to thank retiring board members Jay Ress and Marc Hirshfield. These two gentlemen have been great friends, wonderful advisors and have helped set a high baseline for future directors to achieve.

On behalf of the SIG, I wish you and your family Happy Holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year! Thanks for reading this and taking the journey with me.

With warmest regards,

Adam Birnbaum
Healthcare SIG President

Project of the Year Award Presented to Alegent Health Systems

Adam Birnbaum presenting the Project of the Year Award to Myra Ricceri.

The Healthcare SIG Board unanimously selected Alegent Health Systems as the first annual winner of the 2006 Project of the Year Award, based on the work performed on the Immanuel Medical Center project. Sally Lieneman from Immanuel Medical Center noted that this operations-focused cardiac care project "revolutionized the way we do business!" It is easy to see why Alegent received this esteemed recognition - the company has consistently received Top Performer and 5-Star Patient Satisfaction Awards in the past for improving healthcare through exceptional commitment to quality and service. The award was presented to Myra Ricceri at the Annual Membership Meeting at the PMI North American Global Congress.

To be considered for this prestigious award, applicants had to submit a completed application that included a workplan, original charter or scope document, document/lessons learned (if applicable), a letter describing why the project deserved the award, and up to three other supporting documents. Only projects in the healthcare industry were eligible for consideration and the project manager had to be a member of the Healthcare SIG. Key evaluation criteria for the project were to meet or improve upon the original project management plan and to advance the image of the project management profession as demonstrated by effective application of the principles set forth in the PMBOK® Guide.

Based on last year’s preconference half-day sellout, HIMSS has asked the SIG to conduct a full-day preconference workshop at HIMSS07 in New Orleans. The workshop will be held on Sunday, 25 February, 2007 from 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM. Healthcare SIG Director of Education & Certification,
Jay Ress, PMP, has compiled a team of outstanding experts to lead this terrific program on developing project management people skills.

Register Today!

PMI Healthcare SIG/HIMSS PM SIG To Lead Joint Meeting at HIMSS07

The final agenda details will be provided in January, but the meeting will include a free education opportunity and strategy discussion:

Date:       Monday, 26 February, 2007
Time:       3-5 PM
Location: Room 252 at the Convention Center

Healthcare Project Management Jobs

PMO Vice President
The Amerihealth/Keystone Mercy Healthplan is seeking a vice president of the program management office responsible for developing and leading the enterprise-wide, strategically-oriented program management office. The vice president will interact with the highest levels of the organization leading the evolution of the company’s culture and practices towards a future state of world-class program management. Learn more about this position.

Project Director - Universal Credentialing Datasource
The Council for Affordable Healthcare Quality (CAHQ) is seeking a project director to be responsible for all aspects of the UCD initiative, including setting strategic and operational direction, managing the support team, managing contractor relationships, interfacing with health plan representatives, and leading stakeholder outreach activities. The project director will be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategic plan to maximize the success of the UCD business unit. Learn more about this position.

Volunteer Opportunities

Discussion Board Monitors
Do you have experience in moderating online discussion groups? We are looking for one or two volunteers to monitor discussion groups and encourage networking between the Healthcare SIG members. Contact the director of membership services for more details.

Education Program
The Healthcare SIG Education Program is looking for volunteers to assist with the program in 2007. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for online education and can commit some of their time to producing quality educational project management healthcare focused courses.
Learn more about criteria for these positions and the benefits of volunteering.

More specific information on the number of volunteer positions available and topics for online/on-demand courses will be soon posted on the web site as well as the January 2007 issue of HealthcareSpeaks.

Marketing Coordinator
Identifies requirements for, and creates, defines, and leads implementation of projects to support marketing of the SIG. Such projects can include initiatives to attract new members to the SIG, increase SIG member retention, improve SIG branding, positioning, communications, public relations, and image, as well as initiatives to market SIG products and services such as webinars, educational and marketing events, and local interest groups. Contact the director of development for more information.

Strategic Relations Lead
Identifies and leads initiatives to develop strategic relationships with other professional organizations dedicated to the healthcare industry, negotiates agreements with those organizations for SIG board approval, and creates, plans, and develops programs to execute those agreements. Contact the director of development for more information.