February 08, 2010

Hunhoff Earns Top Health Care Management Credential

Jean Hunhoff, FACHE, Corporate Compliance Quality Officer, Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s leading professional society for health care leaders.

“Because health care management ultimately affects the people in our communities, it is critically important to have a standard of excellence promoted by a professional organization,” says Thomas C. Dolan, PhD, FACHE, CAE, president and chief executive officer of ACHE. “By becoming an ACHE Fellow and simultaneously earning board certification from ACHE, health care leaders can show that they are committed to providing high-quality service to their patients and community.”

Fellow status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. In fact, only 7,500 health care executives hold this distinction. To obtain Fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional/community involvement. Fellows are also committed to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years.

Hunhoff, a registered nurse, has worked at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital for 29 years and is a South Dakota State Senator for District 18. Her responsibilities at Avera Sacred Heart include: oversight for organizational compliance with federal and state regulations and accreditation standards, Director of Home Care/Hospice/Homemaker Programs, Risk Management, and community based programming.