One of the industry’s most prolific associations is in flux after its longtime president passed away earlier this year. The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) has since named Bill Dombi, formerly the association’s vice president for law, as interim president.
Home Health Care News caught up with Dombi on the cusp of NAHC’s annual conference in October to find out more about the association’s direction and search for a new leader.
Define NAHC without Val? Where will the association go from here?
We have initiated a process of internal and external evaluation of NAHC along with a strategic planning process that will be announced at the NAHC Annual Meeting [in October]. Everything is open for review and re-engineering where needed. The goal is to establish a NAHC that is right for today’s home care and hospice community and one that fits for the future as well.
All organizations should go through such a process periodically. We have labeled the result as “NAHC 2.0,” and its design depends upon the outcome of the process we have initiated rather than a preconceived notion. At the same time, I believe that the outcome will strengthen and unite the industry.
Can you detail any further what NAHC 2.0 will look like? What has already been done?
NAHC 2.0 will be the result of the strategic planning. We have undertaken some changes at NAHC already, but that is not in line with NAHC 2.0.
Among the things we have done:
—Opened greater communications with our membership through ad hoc forums, issue-oriented messaging and social media
—Expanded and strengthened our collaborative working relationship with other health care advocates, e.g. joint advocacy with the Partnership for Home Health Quality
—Triggered a grassroots infrastructure development using social media and more, e.g. our current White House campaign on HHGM
—Updated the educational content of our Annual Meeting
What is the search process? Is there are timeline? Frontrunners?
As with the strategic planning process, we have designed a search process that will be announced at the Annual Meeting. A key element of that process will be the completion of the strategic plan. The credentials needed by the next NAHC CEO are dependent on the design of NAHC 2.0. Details on the planning process and search process, including timelines, will be provided at the conference.
Are you interested in keeping the job?
We are taking everything one step at a time.
Let’s talk about long legacies in senior care. There are often leaders and founders of companies and organizations who hold the helm for decades. At the same time, there is a huge need to bring younger people into the industry—half of all nurses are 55 and older. Would you advocate for shorter reigns of executives? What impact does a 30-year veteran as an executive have on the next generation of health industry workers?
The impact depends upon what that veteran has done and can still do. A great veteran will have a great positive impact. I believe that it is the responsibility of any leader to support and mentor the next generation. That is one solid way of ensuring a strong legacy for the organization at large. Time of service is not the determinant as to whether the impact is positive or negative. The person and his/her performance determines the impact.
As for whether I advocate for shorter reigns, I believe no one is irreplaceable. Every four years we elect the President of the United States. Two consecutive terms are the limit for the most powerful job on Earth. Our country has done quite well with that approach.
Written by Amy Baxter
Companies featured in this article:
