What’s the deal with FACHE
On January 1, 2007, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) changed its credentialing rules and officially eliminated the Certified Healthcare Executive (CHE) credential. All qualified CHEs, which I became in December, were subsequently promoted to ACHE Fellows (FACHE). The fortuitous timing of this change propelled me from mere member to Fellow in the span of a month.
Well where I come from, Fellows are the wizend elders of healthcare. The Fellows I knew were some of the first real business executives that ran hospitals. Fellows are system CEOs, not mere directors like myself.
So out of respect for the title, I have decided to deny myself the title of FACHE and hold on to the CHE credential for at least a year. In the past, Fellows had to complete a project, like write a peer-reviewed article or sponsor an administrative resident, to obtain their credential. I don’t have specific criteria in mind for promoting myself, but I would like to have a bit more experience under my belt before I feel worthy of the FACHE.