Mark Clark, Vice-President of Operations at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan in Centralia recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders.
“Because healthcare 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, healthcare 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 healthcare 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.
Clark began his career at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan in 1995 in the Information Systems department and has served as a Vice President for 4 years. Clark received his Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri. With this most recent achievement, Clark is now privileged to use the FACHE credential, which signifies board certification in healthcare management and ACHE Fellow status.
Bruce Merrell, President of St. Mary’s Good Samaritan’s Centralia Campus and also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, says Clark’s achievement demonstrates the commitment of those in leadership roles at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan: “Learning never stops for us in health care – in order to serve our communities well, we must keep aiming higher. We’re very proud of Mark and this distinction he’s earned.”
The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of more than 30,000 healthcare executives who lead our nation’s hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. ACHE is known for its prestigious credentialing and educational programs and its annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws more than 4,500 participants each year. ACHE is also known for its journal, the Journal of Healthcare Management, and magazine, Healthcare Executive, as well as ground-breaking research and career development and public policy programs. ACHE's publishing division, Health Administration Press, is one of the largest publishers of books and journals on all aspects of health services management in addition to textbooks for use in college and university courses. Through such efforts, ACHE works toward its goal of being the premier professional society for healthcare leaders by providing exceptional value to its members.