Strength, Opportunity, and Humility: Keys to Future Success for AHIMA

The statement below was featured in the February AHIMA & YOU member e-newsletter. These comments accurately capture my early thoughts and sentiments.  

Dear Colleagues, 

Thank you all for the warm welcome to date. I’m honored to serve as the next CEO for AHIMA and look forward to the opportunity to serve the Board, membership, those certified by AHIMA, and the entire HI community. 
 
I am truly inspired by the AHIMA mission and the service that each of you provides daily to ensure that healthcare is delivered safely and effectively. Without HI (without you), our healthcare system would collapse. Although, historically, many of you may have felt that you served a supportive role in healthcare, I see it differently. The HI professional community serves a primary and vital role in healthcare delivery and, as such, deserves to claim its rightful place in the healthcare system. 

I am confident we will build on the wonderful successes of the past, while pursuing opportunities to enhance value and expand services to our members and the HI professional community at large. 

AHIMA is only as strong as the relationships we create. I’m committed to listening, learning, and serving those who are satisfied while also focusing on the concerns of those who may not be. 

Even though it may be difficult to please 100 percent of people 100 percent of the time, the AHIMA membership is worth that effort. 

Sincerely, 
Kevin 

I want to reassure you, as a member of AHIMA, someone who may have entrusted their professional credentials to AHIMA, or if you are simply an interested party, I will always communicate with you openly and transparently. My voice will be consistent as I work to leverage AHIMA resources, influence, and platforms to serve you and this wonderful professional community.  

I guarantee my sincerity and authenticity, as every word spoken or written by me will come directly from and will be authored by me. I know many organizations and CEOs may defer such messages to skilled and talented writers. AHIMA certainly has amazing depth and talent in this area. However, I will not squander their talent and expertise asking them to guess my heart or define my tone. Most importantly, I am accountable to you and committed to ensuring AHIMA serves you effectively. I will not delegate my relationship with you to anyone. 

In addition to my AHIMA & YOU message, I want to share some additional thoughts, regarding strength, opportunity, and humility. My first four weeks with AHIMA have been filled with standard orientation and onboarding activities. However, I have fully invested myself in a detailed and exhaustive discovery exercise to learn all that I can as quickly as I can. I have learned a great deal in my brief time with AHIMA and am eager to learn more so that I can be most effective in my service to all of you, our outstanding president and Board of Directors and our truly amazing staff. 

Strength: I am truly in awe of the strength of AHIMA, its commitment to operational excellence and financial stewardship, and the quality of services and programs designed and administered to support this vital professional community and elevate the value of your professional credentials so that individually and collectively, HI professionals can claim their rightful place as a critical component of this nation’s healthcare system.   

Opportunity: Strategic vision, without organizational strength, is merely blue sky thought generation without a means to execute. Building on our strengths and prior successes, I see untapped potential and an amazing opportunity to enhance our service to our professional community, our members, and those we certify. While you are busy making a difference in patients’ lives, we will be equally committed to making as impactful a difference in your professional lives. It may go without saying, but AHIMA is a service organization. If we are not committed to serving this professional community to the best of our ability, then I question our purpose. Rest assured, you are our purpose, and you are our focus. You are the very core of our mission. 

Humility: I, and we, recognize our humble role in service to each and every one of our members, those who hold our credentials, and others in our professional community. Are we perfect? Certainly not. Where we excel and exceed your expectations, we will learn from you to inform our future efforts. Where we fall short in some regard, we will create opportunities to listen and refine our approach. Although we cannot commit to perfection, we will always strive for excellence.  

Thank you for listening and allowing me, and the AHIMA staff, to serve you. 

Sincerely, 

Kevin

Kevin Klauer, DO, EJD, FACEP, FACOEP, is the chief executive officer of AHIMA.