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Some thoughts on our newsletter and our networking philosophy…

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July marks one year of publishing our very first monthly HLSA newsletter. It has been challenging, a great learning experience, quite a bit of fun and very rewarding. It would also not have been possible without the inspiration and guidance we received from our mentor, Michael Loschke of Arista Advisors, to whom we are incredibly grateful. We (our board) had been talking for some time about doing a newsletter to expand our community outreach, and Michael was the catalyst that made that happen. We wanted to provide added value to our sponsors while also sharing some great information from some of the very smart and experienced individuals we have met through our networking events.

We have been hosting our monthly mixers and special events for well over a decade now with one mission in mind, to thoughtfully connect healthcare professionals as a means to grow connections and opportunities. Most people think of that when they think of networking- you’re looking for new business, new clients, maybe a new job- and those are reasonable and practical goals. But over the years we have also forged some very meaningful connections and friendships, and learned a lot about business in San Antonio.

If asked to point to one source of inspiration for starting a networking group, I would have to point to Johnny Johnson. His real name was Phil Johnson, but I always remember him being introduced as “Johnny” at our regional ACHE conferences in the mid-90s when he was the CEO of what was then McKenna Hospital in New Braunfels. Johnny was of course a fellow in ACHE and had also enjoyed a distinguished health administration career in the US Army, rising to the rank of Colonel before returning to civilian life. He was also a huge proponent of networking and always brought very sizeable stacks of business cards in rubber bands (this was in the earliest days of the internet) to the conference podium to drive home his points when he spoke about its importance to our careers. He would say it is something you have to do continually, a career discipline that can  be rewarding in ways beyond the next job lead.

He was right.

 

David Neathery

HLSA Founder

 

AI for Work and Life

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AI has been under development for decades.  Recently, AI has taken a hockey stick trajectory into the mainstream with the development of new and ever evolving AI tools.  At 67 years old, I have not been the most informed on technology over the years.  As I speak with others at our HLSA Networking events I KNOW there are useful and evolving benefits for AI.   But many have a self-imposed roadblock on learning new technology.

Whether you are just starting your career or if you are a seasoned executive there will be a place in your toolbox for AI which will enhance your career or just assist you in becoming more efficient and familiar with the technology and its tools.

As a result of my shortcomings in technology I decided to become more familiarized with AI and its current development.  I did so by enrolling in a free certificate course from the University of North Florida (UNF). The course is currently free for a limited time thanks to NLP Logix who has sponsored the program.

This program is designed to help professionals, students and lifelong learners understand and apply Artificial Intelligence in practical, everyday contexts – both in the workplace and beyond. The program is fully online and consisted of 8, self-paced modules with an approximate 10-hour duration total timeline.

I started Module 1 on October 23rd and completed Module 8 and received my certificate on November 16th.  The Course was facilitated by various experts and leaders in AI development in a number of various platforms.

The introduction to AI was the catalyst for starting the program and was interesting and thought provoking.  It fueled my ambition to learn more. The course then moved onto highlighting a number of AI Tools, how to use them and incorporated a demonstration on how these tools can be accessed and utilized for your work or life benefits.

In my opinion, the module on the Art and Science of Prompting was the most valuable as this is the key to getting your desired results from any AI tool.  The program then progressed into the rising ethical challenges that AI brings.  Narrow AI vs Large Language Models (LLMs) were discussed along with the pitfalls of each.  AI is not perfect so there are necessary guidelines you need to know about when engaging with AI tools.

The program then addressed AI in key industries such as Medicine, Law and everyday life and progressed into how AI has and may affect our world as it continuously develops and evolves.  The material covered make me think about the possibilities and cemented my decision to take this valuable beginner’s course.

I can enhance my newly gained knowledge further by engaging further with the utilization of AI tools and learning how to make AI enhance my work & everyday life.  Jumping in and utilizing various AI tools will ultimately determine the extent of knowledge I will gain.  I would suggest that any beginning student or seasoned executive with limited knowledge take a beginner’s course which may possibly inspire you by going into deeper context through the many programs that are developing on the Topic of Artificial Intelligence.

 

by Gary Meyn, LFACHE

 

 

Your Profit Margin is in the Details: Focusing on Patient Care and Your Books

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What if you could focus solely on patient care, knowing that your financial operations are not only in order but also optimized for growth and sustainability? 

If you’re running a healthcare business, chances are your focus is on patient care or patient products and not profit margins, cost classifications, or what’s buried in your books. But your numbers hold powerful clues about what’s working, what’s leaking money, and what’s keeping you from scaling.

Here are a few simple places to start:

  • Review your Chart of Accounts – Are expenses lumped together in vague categories like “Miscellaneous” or “Office Supplies”? Clean categorization gives you clarity and control.
  • Separate Owner Spending – Mixing personal and business expenses doesn’t just create tax issues; it clouds your decision-making.
  • Check for Duplicates – Subscriptions, services, or staff hours might be charged twice and go unnoticed without regular reviews.
  • Reclassify Costs Correctly – Mislabeling a cost of goods sold as an overhead expense can distort your profitability.
  • Request Reports You Understand – If your current P&L or balance sheet leaves you guessing, it’s time to ask for insights.

Safeguarding your profit isn’t about taking shortcuts; it’s about paying close attention to the details.

If you are curious about what your reports are really saying, I recommend starting with the items listed above.

Respectfully,

Lillia Sanders,  CEO|CFO|Advisor
Let’s Connect! LinkedIn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.skilliabusiness.com
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CST

Click Here to schedule your 10-minute complementary call or to schedule your one-on-one 60-minute consultation!

 

 

 

 

 

Healthcare Leaders Enters its 11th Year of Forging New Connections

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Healthcare Leaders celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. Back in 2014, we were a small handful of acquaintances, some of whom had experienced position eliminations, were transitioning out of the military, or just plain looking for new and better opportunities.  We were meeting twice a month, early in the morning, at a coffee shop on 281 trying to help each other make connections and identify opportunities. Over the course of a few months, we developed a little email following of two or three dozen people, many of whom had never been to our meetings. “We’d love to attend,” they would tell us, “but can’t make mornings, can you do something in the evening?” 

At that point, we started doing an evening mixer the second Thursday (so as not to coincide with our friends at San Antonio IT Networking Group on the first Thursday) of each month. We’ve been hosting our networking events ever since. Like everyone else, we had an unwelcome hiatus forced on us by COVID. We even had a newly launched and ultimately short-lived Houston chapter that was closed after only two meetings due to the lockdown. But, as things returned to normal, we concentrated on rebuilding our San Antonio group. After about a year, we were back to where we had been and beginning to grow even larger.

Over the years, we’ve had a lot of great sponsors, venues and speakers for our special events. As most of our regular attendees know, for many years we were at the Sustenio Restaurant at the Eilan Hotel. They were great and gracious hosts, but, sadly, we outgrew the space they could offer and set off exploring other locales. Our very first special event sponsor was the South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital for a luncheon hosted by the Bexar County Medical Society.

Although we began as a small group helping each other with job leads, over the years we have probably been more prolific in connecting people with new clients and new business. However, helping people connect with someone who can point them to a new job remains near and dear to our hearts and we are delighted if we can offer help in what can be a very trying and stressful time.  We are dedicated to fostering business connections, and our goal is to do this in an atmosphere of community and familial support.

If you haven’t already done so, please join us sometime. Come and connect.

ProPublica Article Documents Employment Challenges Faced by Older Americans

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A recent article by Peter Gosselin does an excellent job documenting the employment challenges faced by Americans aged 50 and over. Gosselin cites new data analysis by ProPublica and the Urban Institute that shows more than half of older U.S. workers are pushed out of longtime jobs before they choose to retire, often suffering damaging financial loss and significant difficulty in finding new employment. Those who do find employment are often underpaid and underemployed for their skills and experience. Read the full article here.

Barbara Greene to Speak at North San Antonio Chamber Power Breakfast on April 10, 2018

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Barbara Greene, CEO of Greene and Associates, Inc., will be the guest speaker at the North San Antonio Chamber Power Networking Breakfast on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at the Norris Conference Center. Barbara is a HLSA member and one of the foremost career consultants in the greater San Antonio area and will speak on Connecting with High Impact and Maximizing Your EQ.

You can register for the event on the Chamber’s website at https://services.northsachamber.com/events/details/power-networking-breakfast-04-10-2018-8772

Texas Tech University Offers New Programs in Health Administration

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Healthcare Leaders of San Antonio is pleased to  share the news that the School of Health Professions at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock is offering several exciting new programs including an MS in Healthcare Administration and a BS in Healthcare Management. A number of graduate certification courses are also offered including Health Systems Policy and Management and Health Informatics and Data Analytics, Healthcare Finance and Economics, and Health Systems Engineering and Management.  There is much more to know, so you can download a Power Point presentation on the graduate programs here, and on the undergraduate programs here. Graduate programs are offered in 100% online and 8-week accelerated courses, and undergraduate programs are offered in traditional semesters.

For more information please contact  Department Chair Ryan N. Schmidt at ryan.n.schmidt@TTUHSC.edu, or Undergraduate Program Director Shenae Samuels at shenae.samuels@ttuhsc.edu.

 

 

HLSA on the Bobby and JJ Radio Show (930AM)!

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A segment about Healthcare Leaders of San Antonio was featured as one of the interviews on the Bobby and JJ Radio Show on Sunday, March 19, 2017. Our thanks go out to Bobby and JJ, and to Jackie Boyle for the segment which we know will raise even more awareness about our monthly networking mixers. Our goals are to foster business connections and new opportunities. We invite you to join us the second Thursday of every month from 5 to 8 pm.

Come and connect!