I draft this article with a little more hope this month. As vaccines continue to roll out across the country, the idea of gathering with friends, family, and colleagues becomes more top of mind with each passing day. Next week ACHE will host their first virtual Congress, which is exciting to see one of the organization’s pillar events coming back, even if in a different capacity this year. With speakers such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Atul Gawande, and many other great leaders from across the country, the topics are bound to be current, relevant, and educational.

As we continue to work our way through and out of this COVID world, I would like to recognize Patricia Sanders-Hall. Patricia is rounding out her term as our ACHE Regent and this marks the end of her years of dedicated service to the KAHCE board and organization. She has served in almost every position within KAHCE. She has been a board member, Education Committee Chair, Mentoring Chair, Equity and Diversity Chair, a charter member of KCLPC, and ultimately Regent. Her leadership and involvement have been greatly appreciated and will be missed on the board.

With Patricia Sanders-Hall finishing her term as Regent, the baton will be passed to Wes Hoyt. Wes is currently in my hometown working as the Chief Operating Officer at Hutchinson Regional Health System. He has been an active member of ACHE for 20 years. He has served as a board member and chaired the Membership Committee for the past few years. We look forward to working with Wes as our Regent over the next three years.

Our chapter was recognized last year by ACHE with the ACHE Award of Chapter Distinction. Susan Pattie, our talented administrative help for KHA, should be recognized for ensuring all the needed detail work was completed to achieve the award. I have said it multiple times and I will say it again, Susan Pattie is the glue to our organization and keeps everything moving smoothly.

I also want to take moment to recognize our committee chairs who have continued to adapt again and again all while striving to still bring value to our members. They all have done a wonderful job, and without them, we would not be able to hit the ground running in 2021. If you are interested in joining any of the committees, please reach out! You can send an email to spattie@kha-net.org, and she will forward it on to me. We would love to have anyone who would like to be involved. Below are the following committees anyone can join as a member:

• Advancement
• Communication
• Education
• Membership
• Mentoring
• Sponsorship
• Student/Early Careerist

As I wrap up my ramblings, I hope everyone is well and is looking forward to some much-needed time with friends and family. The KAHCE board will continue to work hard to make sure we are providing value to our members – both educationally and professionally. Take care!