ACHE Congress

In late March, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) hosted its annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago, IL. This year, four UNC Charlotte MHA students (Kirkland Wade, Makayla Pannell, Lakenda Crawford, and Duke Maisiba) attended the conference, along with MHA Program Director, Dr. Michael Thompson, and MHA Program Administrator, Melissa Smith. Attendees networked with other MHA students from various programs, connected with professionals, and attended hot topic seminars. Popular sessions included the Student Associate Networking Reception, Tools for a Young Professional’s Toolkit, Engaging Millennial Leaders, and New Leaders of the Healthcare Revolution.

Student attendee and CHESO President Duke Maisiba stated, “I enjoyed Congress because of the opportunity to interact with MHA students from other schools and learn about their program. For example, some schools require 61 credits, have a professional development team that serve as their coach for their career development, and have a 1 credit course every semester “professional development” to better prepare them as future healthcare leaders. Also, some students connected me to professionals who I’m currently in touch with.” Another MHA student attendee, Makayla Pannell, noted, “Congress is a great opportunity to meet healthcare executives all across the country. It is great to hear other perspectives and meet people in the field I probably never would have met otherwise.”