StarChapter of February: Michiana SHRM

Michiana SHRM is an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management. SHRM serves the needs of the human resource management professional by providing the most essential and comprehensive set of resources available. In addition, the Society is committed to advancing the human resource profession and the capabilities of all human resource professionals to ensure that HR is an essential and effective partner in developing and executing organizational strategy. We were able to connect with Becky Ragsdale, co-president of the chapter to learn more about how they were able to achieve a tremendous amount of success in the past few years.

1. What was Michiana SHRM’s strategy for engaging new members in the past year? Our chapter is one of the oldest SHRM chapters in the country.  We became affiliated in November 1957.  We have always had a strong SHRM affiliation within our membership so decided we wanted to become a 100% affiliated membership chapter.  This means that all our chapter members are also SHRM National members.  We began this journey in 2014 and became a 100% SHRM chapter in December 2017.  From the start we were transparent with our members about our strategy and believe that is why we have been so successful.   
2. Tell us about a successful event/meeting you organized last year. Last year Michiana SHRM held its first even Leadership Summit.  This Summit was geared towards community leaders, managers, and supervisors who wanted to learn how to attract talent in a tough market for talent.  Keynote Speakers from Cy Wakeman camp as well as local leaders sharing inspirational stories on what they are doing to attract and retain good talent. 
3. The Michiana SHRM network is extensive. Does the board get ideas on how to improve membership value from other chapters? Absolutely.  Michiana SHRM is one of 15 affiliated chapters in the state of Indiana.  We are supported by HR Indiana, which is the State Council for SHRM, who encourages collaboration and sharing of ideas.  HR Indiana holds an annual Volunteer Leader Summit for all chapter board members for just this.  We have the opportunity to train new board members, share ideas on events and speakers, and build our HR networks!
4. Do you have any tips/advice to share with other board volunteers? I think the biggest thing that we have learned as a board is to focus on the value that your organization is providing to your members.  If your providing a great value, the members will come organically.  Also diversifying your programs is key!  If you keep doing the same stuff over and over, you’re never going to attract new members.
5. What is in store for your members this year? 2019 brings a lot of changes to members with how we will handle programs.  In the past we offered 9 monthly luncheon meetings, all at the same time of month…boring!!!  This year we are diversifying our programs by offering a variety of events.  We will host 5 monthly luncheon programs, two webinar events, as well as our first ever Diversity, Inclusion, and Belongings Summit.  We will also host the Leadership Summit in the fall. 
6. How have you been able to utilize StarChapter to run Michiana SHRM and reach its goals?Oh my goodness, since our move to StarChapter we have seen an increase in membership of 25+; we have been able to manage our event finances much better; we are utilizing the coupons/voucher programs for pre-paid items.  Moving to StarChapter has had nothing but positive effects on our chapter operations.  In fact, I am working with some other Indiana Chapters to see if StarChapter could help them as well!  

Would you like to share the success story of your chapter with other board volunteers? We'd love to feature you! Fill out this form to let us know.

StarChapter of January: CMSA Central Arizona

CMSA Central Arizona serves its members through educational forums, networking opportunities and grassroots involvement. The Arizona Chapter of the CMSA is one of 75 local chapters with over 300 members. Nationally, there are 11,000 individual members.  CMSA offers leadership programs, educational forums and a variety of tools and resources enabling case management professionals to achieve positive results for their patients’ healthcare needs at the individual level. Case management professionals help their patients recover more quickly and help to reduce the costs often effecting the nation’s health care system.   CMSA’s success and strength is its structure as a member-driven society.  We were able to connect with Kathy Singleton, Member at Large for CMSA Central Arizona.  

1. What was CMSA Arizona’s strategy for engaging new members in the past year?

Annually in January, the CMSA Board members meet for an all-day Leadership Retreat.  This retreat provides a transition of Board Members and establish the strategies for our Committees, Programs, and Annual Conference.  Membership is a key discussion topic with retro review of the previous year's feedback from dinner meetings and the conference.  Our attendees, both CMSA members and non-members, shared a need to have dinner meetings in a consistent centralized location and with lesser frequency but additional CEU hours.  As such, we have a 2.0 CEU every other month with a variety of current trending topics.  We have utilized BOGO efforts, promoted student attendance, and increasing engagement with our post-acute providers.   

Another successful key strategy is our Membership Committee Chair Kerry Halcomb.  Kerry is the owner of a well-connected Home Health Agency and a long-standing Board Member.  He engages with a multitude of acute hospital, long-term, acute rehabilitation, managed care/healthplan, workmans' compensation, and post-acute providers on a daily basis and is able to help guide prospective members towards continuing educational opportunities with CMSA AZ Chapter as well as connection points for scenarios in which our Chapter Members can support professions throughout our State.  Another key strategy to actively engage meeting attendees it to sit with them at the dinner tables better understanding his/her needs.  Additionally, our email notices of upcoming events, meeting reminders, and future events are sent out to 500+ members and non-members as a means to retain current members and potentially "snag" new members and social medial of Facebook keeps us connected in real-time!

2. Tell us about a successful event/meeting you organized last year.

Undoubtedly, our Annual Conference was a winner!  CMSA AZ Chapter always choses a theme and 2018 was "The Magic of Case Management" with focus on the positive attributes of case management, featured expertise speaker of Kathy Fraser, and preparing for further transformational change.  The topics draw a wide-array of case management professionals and the post-acute providers (aka "vendors") have opportunities to engage personally with attendees.  Our Chapter awarded 5 New Member/Renewals in a drawing, always an exciting gift!  We had 176 attendees, and 84 Exhibitors.   

3. The CMSA Arizona network is extensive. Does the board get ideas on how to improve membership value from other chapters?

Absolutely!  Board Members review other Chapters' websites for content, lay-out, and functionality.  Additionally, the StarChapter's webinars provide a collection from Chapters related to their challenges and successes thus providing us with opportunities to learn and improve.  CMSA's National Team members also provide guidance and brain-storming discussions.

4. Do you have any tips/advice to share with other board volunteers?

Fun!  Communication!  Board Member variety!  Volunteer Organizations can be draining but the comradery and collaboration among the CMSA AZ Chapter Board Members is fun!  We take our responsibilities seriously to ensure our members and non-members are successful and we hold each other accountable to meet established action items.  If a team member becomes a bit overwhelmed, the others are supportive to ensure our objectives are met and rally around the Board Member.  Our Board meetings are structured with an agenda, objectives, and action items.  Each Member at Large is also responsible to be a Committee Chair for Membership, Website, Programs, etc. which spreads the responsibilities among multiple team members and our Board encompasses a variety of professionals including nurses, social workers, therapists, and Associate Members in varied healthcare arenas.

5. What is in store for your members this year?

Exciting Programs focused on social determinants and healthcare transformation.  We are discussing an event…a "Fun Day" that pulls individuals into an outing, yet to be determined.  Improving our website content to include Board Member job descriptions and By-Laws, the "Why CMSA" video, a Public Policy Page, links to National CMSA, and a CMSA AZ Resource/Reference Page are also on our 2019 agenda.

6. How have you been able to utilize StarChapter to run CMSA Arizona and reach its goals?

StarChapter has been incredibly beneficial to our Chapter, especially related to our website.  We are still in the infancy stages and have already outlined the improvements we want to incorporate including the Welcome Letters, Renewal/Expiring Member Letters, email notifications, web pages, blogs, and reporting functionality, e.g. Membership, bounced emails.  

The 12 CMSA AZ Chapter Board Members are excited to begin 2019 with our Leadership Retreat on January 12th and will be keeping our Members and prospective NEW members updated!

Would you like to share the success story of your chapter with other board volunteers? We'd love to feature you! Fill out this form to let us know.