Justine Zilliken, MBA, MHA, FACHE
Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer | Brand Experience
Sturdy Health

Summer 2024 

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy ~ George Gershwin

Well, perhaps “easier” is the right word. I am in no way suggesting that we are all carefree under the weight of a statewide behavioral health and primary care access dearth which has our emergency departments heaving under unprecedented volumes. I also don’t dismiss that the Steward Health roller coaster has us all a bit anxious, both as healthcare leaders and as members of the communities this health system serves.

Yet, there is something about summer that just makes you exhale. It’s as if the universe collectively relaxes our shoulders and invites us to slow down for a moment. Maybe it’s the extra daylight hours that make us feel like we somehow have more time in the day, hours we can enjoy for ourselves. Okay, maybe not hours, but you get where I’m going with this.

If you’ve carved out time this summer to head to Boston for the 2024 ACHE Boston Cluster July 29-31, I will see you there! With engaging sessions to support us as, together, we Build a Better Future for Healthcare, we can relax, reconnect and reinvigorate ourselves right here at home. Click here to learn more, as there still may be space available for the Governance sessions. When else do we have an opportunity to earn up to 24 ACHE In-Person Education credits that doesn’t involve a trip to the airport? It doesn’t get much easier!

Whether you are heading to Boston, the Berkshires or your backyard, ACHE provides a myriad of easy ways for you as a leader to stay abreast of our ever-changing health care horizon. Listen to an ACHE Healthcare Executive Podcast or our own ACHE of Massachusetts Chapter Podcasts while enjoying a morning walk/run/bike ride or drive to work/vacation. Looking for an update on key issues facing us in the Commonwealth? Check out the latest from the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association

Have you been thinking about pursuing your Board Certification in Healthcare Leadership and advancing to Fellow status? Our Chapter’s incredible Membership and Advancement Committee is here to help make achieving your board certification in healthcare leadership as easy as possible. Are you a Fellow interested in lending your experience in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts as District 1 Regent-At-Large? Applications are now being accepted, so please reach out to me for details.

More than anything else this summer, do something for no other reason than that it brings you joy and reminds you of your “why.” As leaders, we are called upon to engage and inspire those we are privileged to lead. Every. Single. Day. Let’s create moments to do the things we truly enjoy, that matter to us, so that we come to our leadership roles fortified and with an authenticity that builds the health care organizations our communities are depending on. We don’t get burned out by what we do. We get burned out because we lose sight of why we do it.

Summer is our friendly filling station during which we can replenish our mind, body and spirit for the seasons to come. So, whether you are sticking your toes in the sand of Mayflower Beach on the Cape, hiking your favorite trail at Mount Holyoke Range State Park, or simply slow sipping your morning coffee and really reading your ACHE Healthcare Executive magazine, remember to savor every moment. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Enjoy your summer!

Warm regards,
Justine
Regent for Massachusetts

Check out our local ACHE events out here:
 https://www.massache.org/events/ to support your continuous learning!

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