Capacity management finds place within AHA

The Nerissa Legge File

CV

• Current executive director at the Hospital Capacity Management Consortium, a personal membership group (PMG) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) in Chicago.
• Current director of member engagement and chapter relations at the American Society for Health Care Risk Management, a PMG of the AHA.
• Director of member experience and customer solutions at the Institute of Real Estate Management in Chicago.
• Professional development director at Kellen, an association management firm in Chicago.
• Education program manager for the CCIM Institute in Chicago.
• Continuing medical education manager at the American Society of Transplant Surgeons in Arlington, Va.
• Senior program manager for education and meetings at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions in Washington, D.C.
• Program manager at the American Medical Association in Chicago.

Education

• Master of Science in integrated marketing communication at Roosevelt University in Chicago.
• Bachelor of Arts in communication at the University of Maryland at College Park, Md.

Early this year, it was announced that the Hospital Capacity Management Consortium (HCMC) joined the American Hospital Association (AHA) as one of its professional membership groups (PMGs). This month, we talk to Nerissa Legge, HCMC’s executive director, to learn more about the group and its plans.

When and why did HCMC form?

HCMC was started during the COVID-19 pandemic by James J. Scheulen, PA-C, MBA, who was then the chief administrative officer of emergency medicine and capacity management at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore; Vikas Parekh, M.D., associate chief medical officer of capacity and operations in the Office of Clinical Affairs at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor; and Robert Fogerty, M.D., MPH, senior medical director of clinical leadership at Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital, out of a shared recognition that we need innovative, collaborative and strategic approaches to hospital capacity management.

Unlike other health care disciplines, there was not an organized group dedicated solely to capacity management, so they formed it. This was a great way for like-minded individuals to convene and work to improve the efficiency of hospital capacity management. As we’ve seen over the past few years, the need for sharing solutions within the capacity management field has never been more urgent.

What types of job titles are in the membership of HCMC?

Many medical facilities employ a hospital capacity management department. Smaller organizations also may have health care capacity management professionals or individuals who perform that function on a clinicwide or individual medical practice basis. Our membership includes executive titles like executive director of capacity management, vice president of operations and chief medical officer; director and leadership titles like director of hospital operations, director of capacity management and command center leader; and clinical titles such as director of nursing operations, nurse manager and patient flow coordinator.

What value do you offer to health care professionals?

HCMC is the go-to organization for anyone with an interest in health care capacity management. The hospital capacity management career really focuses on optimizing hospital resources and improving the efficiency of patient care and flow. Members receive access to tangible resources and connections that aid in personal career growth and efficiency in providing for patients. The organization brings people together to share best practices.

By joining HCMC, members gain access to a large network of leaders in the field with whom they can interact and share best practices. Another great member benefit is access to our HCMC Exchange, which is a member-only discussion board for members to communicate and share best practices with each other. It offers a place for members to connect on hot topics, processes and news, and engage in meaningful discussions related to hospital capacity management. This is a wonderful way to build community and encourage engagement within the HCMC membership.

What experience do you bring to HCMC as its new executive director?

As the new executive director, I bring a combination of relevant experience, leadership skills and a passionate commitment to HCMC’s mission. I find it very important to always remember why we are doing the work we do. The patients are at the center of our work, and the goal is to strive for improvements in the efficiency of acute care capacity management.

In my concurrent role as director of member engagement and chapter relations at the AHA’s American Society for Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM), I provide strategic direction and oversee membership recruitment and retention. My background includes strategic planning, association leadership, process improvement and relationship building, which has equipped me with a strong understanding of organizational dynamics and effective governance.

I have a proven track record of fostering collaborative teams, driving strategic initiatives and building relationships with key stakeholders. Additionally, I am dedicated to continuous learning and ensuring I can effectively address challenges and find opportunities to advance our organization’s goals. I am very eager to help grow HCMC and help it achieve its goal of becoming the source for all things related to hospital capacity management.

How will HCMC collaborate with other AHA PMGs moving forward?

There are many ways for HCMC to collaborate with other AHA PMGs in the future. For example, HCMC members will be presenting at the AHA Leadership Summit this summer on “The Capacity Management Playbook: Proven Strategies to Unlock Access, Drive Growth, and Achieve Financial Success.” They also will host a “conversation starter table” titled “Capacity Management: Insights and Strategies.” This will be a great opportunity for attendees to learn more about HCMC and get some great takeaways and insights. This conversation table will be led by two members from the HCMC executive committee.

Additionally, collaborative webinar opportunities may be offered in the future, where HCMC can work with other PMGs to host a webinar or other educational offering to larger audiences across the AHA. Serving on panels or attending other groups’ conferences also are great ways for HCMC to get involved with the work of other PMGs. This includes events like the American Society for Health Care Engineering’s Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference™, ASHRM’s upcoming annual conference in Charlotte, N.C., and any other PMG annual conference where collaboration would be beneficial.

I am looking at ways for HCMC to collaborate with other groups and share resources.

How do you plan to upgrade HCMC’s communications efforts?

I want to ensure that communication efforts are organized and planned in a way that news about HCMC is spread to all who have interest in the field. This includes social media, newsletters, blogs, website updates and more. We are introducing a new blog, newsletter and conversation circles, which are all great opportunities for enhanced communication efforts. I also want to ensure our resources are enhanced to provide relevant and timely information to our members.

How do you envision HCMC developing?

I see HCMC becoming the primary source for capacity management in health care. I envision collaboration with AHA and the other PMGs to produce education, resources, publications and more. I see membership continuing to grow over the years and member benefits growing as the membership grows. I would love to be able to have an in-person conference and other in-person education offerings in the future. I also see the work of HCMC committees being pivotal to the success of the organization. I want to ensure that capacity management and flow are top of mind in the health care field and that we continue to advocate for our patients so they can get the best care possible.

Michael Hrickiewicz is editor-in-chief at Health Facilities Management magazine.