Mid-January 2024 was a notable time for members of HFMA’s Iowa Chapter. Things kicked off with a blizzard. Then there was a second blizzard and a presidential caucus. It was a lot for one week, but that wasn’t all. The real highlight took place on Jan. 17 when the Chapter gathered in the Des Moines area to commemorate its 70th anniversary.
A special celebration
The event took place on the afternoon prior to the Chapter’s annual winter conference. Featured speakers included Iowa native Ann Jordan, HFMA president and CEO; Todd Nelson, FHFMA, MBA, HFMA’s chief partnership officer and a past Iowa Chapter president; Michael Allen, HFMA’s 2019-2021 national chair; and Dave Muhs, CFO of the Henry County Health Center and a past HFMA Iowa president, who shared highlights from the Chapter’s past. A special networking reception followed.
Festivities continued at Rube’s Steakhouse with dinner and a white elephant gift exchange — the Chapter’s most popular annual tradition.
“Rube’s is a cook-your-own steakhouse and a great spot for a group networking event,” said Peterson. “Over 70 members participated in the white elephant gift exchange, where gifts ranged from a bottle of wine to a hand-crafted cereal box that had a recent cover of hfm magazine on it.”
“We kept things light and celebratory,” said Jenny Peterson, FHFMA, a senior decision support analyst with CommonSpirit Health and president of the Iowa Chapter. “There was a display of awards the Chapter has won over the years, live music from HFMA’s own Michael Allen and a fun photo booth.”
A rousing success
Total registration for the two-day event was 90, including nearly 20 past Chapter presidents and all three HFMA Region 8 executives. Feedback has been positive, with one attendee saying it was “one of the best HFMA local conferences” they had ever attended. Peterson credits communication and collaboration for the success.
“We have an awesome communications committee that included event details in several of our 60 Second Updates and social media posts,” said Peterson. “We also had great collaboration across our Chapter teams, so everyone knew what their part was and what was happening.”
Peterson said it also helped that Mother Nature took a brief break from the snow and extreme temperatures the day of the event.
“You always run a risk with weather in January, but the winter conference is also usually our most attended event,” said Peterson. “This one was no exception.”
