Washington, D.C. — April 28, 2025 — The American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) is pleased to announce the results of its recent Board elections held during the 2025 Annual Convention. ACHCA proudly welcomes a distinguished slate of Officers, District Directors, and Board Advisors, each bringing passion, leadership, and a commitment to advancing excellence in post-acute and aging services administration.

2025–2026 ACHCA Officers:

• Immediate Past Chair: Matthew Lessard, FACHCA (Maine)
• Chair: Mark Prifogle, FACHCA (Indiana)
• Vice Chair: Blair Quasnitschka, FACHCA (South Carolina)
• Treasurer: Israel Ray, FACHCA (Kentucky)
• Secretary: Philip Jean, FACHCA (Maine)

Newly Elected Board Members:

• Academic Director: Dr. Lindsey Crepeau, FACHCA (Wisconsin)
• District 7 Director (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma): Michael Ricks, FACHCA (Oklahoma)
• District 8 Director (Texas and Louisiana): Dr. Michael Mileski, FACHCA (Texas)
• District 9 Director (Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota): Sharon Colling, FACHCA (North Dakota)
• District 12 Director (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada): Dr. Charles Villafranca, FACHCA (Arizona)

New Board Advisors:

• University Student Advisor: Delia Pullen (Wisconsin)
• Administrator-in-Training (AIT) Advisor: Michael Beckfield (Minnesota)
• Emerging Professional Advisor: Annabelle Howat (Oregon)
• Emeritus Advisor: Julian Rich, FACHCA (Massachusetts)

"Our newly elected leadership reflects ACHCA’s steadfast commitment to cultivating the next generation of health care administrators, advocating for our profession, and promoting best practices across the entire post-acute continuum," said Chair Mark Prifogle. "I am excited to collaborate with this exceptional team as we continue to strengthen ACHCA’s voice and value in a rapidly changing health care environment."

Recent Publication: Falls and Fractures among Nursing Home Residents Treated with Pimavanserin versus Other Atypical Antipsychotics: Analysis of Medicare Beneficiaries with Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis

Reducing falls and fractures remains an essential clinical goal in managing older adults with Parkinson’s disease psychosis (PDP) in long-term care and nursing home (LTC/NH) settings. Falls and fractures in this population are associated with significant morbidity, reduced quality of life, and increased healthcare costs. A recent retrospective study by Rajagopalan et al., published in a peer-reviewed journal, analyzed Medicare data to assess the risk of falls and fractures among LTC residents with PDP who were receiving continuous monotherapy with pimavanserin (PIM) compared to other atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) and quetiapine (QUE).

To thrive in today’s competitive healthcare environment, organizations must prioritize exceptional patient care, which begins with hiring the right talent to deliver it. As an official partner of ACHCA, Hireology is dedicated to helping members streamline their hiring processes and enhance their recruitment efforts, ensuring they can attract top talent for their organizations.

It is likely that not only has the reality been heard, but it has also been experienced — attracting and retaining talent has become increasingly challenging for healthcare organizations. One of the primary factors contributing to this challenge is the latest CMS staffing mandate. Studies have shown that roughly 4 in 5 healthcare organizations will need to hire additional nurses and aids to remain compliant. In response, many facilities are evolving their recruitment strategies and seeking innovative solutions like Hireology to enhance their hiring processes to secure the best candidates.

Here’s some good news! We are living longer. Or at least we’ve been given numerous opportunities to consider how. However, with all things being equal, we’ve yet to achieve what a longer life can mean. How we behave now will be determined by the earlier habits that were adopted from our childhood experiences, such as what we eat and drink, the various lifestyles we’ve practiced, the social norms that were instilled in us by our parents, and those we currently have been following. All of these experiences and more have a way of influencing our lives to an extent that can affect us as we age. It all comes down to how we can continue maintaining our health and a quality life we all aspire to. The following are several facts that lend hope for achieving a longer life.

1. Life spans have dramatically doubled in just a few generations, giving further hope to a vision for a longer life.
2. A billion people worldwide have already reached the age of 60+.
3. Our country’s population, for those who will turn 60 by the year 2040, will add another 2.1 million.
4. It is projected that with a growing aging population, there will be more people living longer because of innovative technology and pharmacology.

What can this journey of humankind mean to living a longer life?

There is a lot to unpack with HIPAA law. It may seem like it's more work than it's worth, but unfortunately, it needs to be addressed. HIPAA isn’t all bad. Did you know HIPAA can help you manage your risk in several ways?

1. HIPAA Security Risk Assessments limit the likelihood of hacking incidents
2. Policies and procedures limit the risk of improper use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI)
3. Business associate agreements limit liability when your business associate violates HIPAA
4. Implementing a HIPAA compliance program reduces the risk of fines

HIPAA Security Risk Assessments and Hacking

HIPAA Security Risk Assessments (SRAs) are important in improving your organization’s cybersecurity practices. While SRAs are an annual HIPAA requirement, there are other reasons to conduct yours.

Imagine a long-term care (LTC) facility that feels like home to everyone. A place where residents from all walks of life feel respected, valued, and comfortable expressing themselves authentically. This vision isn't just a feel-good aspiration; it's the foundation for delivering exceptional care.

LTC facilities can't afford to comply with minimum standards in today's diverse society. As an administrator and registered nurse, true quality care hinges on embracing diversity and fostering inclusion. This means going beyond regulations and creating a welcoming environment that celebrates each resident's unique needs and backgrounds.

Working in healthcare can be challenging for several reasons, but even more so when you’re not adequately trained on the various aspects of your job. When you’re heavily focused on training in the more technical aspects of your career, healthcare compliance and cybersecurity are often overlooked.

 Healthcare compliance and cybersecurity training are as essential to patient safety as clinical training. They ensure patient and employee safety through standardized processes.