The health care organization selected for this assignment is the American-based Health Car Education Association (HCEA). Their website is http://www.hcea-info.org/ and contains links to many resources and publications. Unfortunately, some of this information is behind members-only walls. There does not appear to be a history or a narrative for the organization’s founding in terms of when it was founded. However, why the organization was founded is highly publicized. It is described as a “multi-disciplinary professional organization” begun by health care educators who “are committed to improving healthcare outcomes through evidence-based patient, family, consumer, community and staff education, resource development and communications” (HCEA, 2017). In other words, the organization was founded to improve or enhance health care education as a means of improving health care outcomes throughout a wide selection of stakeholders and venues.
The HCEA (2017) clearly states its mission and goals (though they use ‘objectives’) as well as a vision. The mission echoes the reasons for the association’s founding, which is that it is “an inter-professional organization that advocates for evidence-based health education for patients and consumers” and the promotion of “optimal health by working with health care professionals to build knowledge, networks, and partnerships” (HCEA, 2017). The organization has several objectives. They seek to “provide opportunities for the professional development of health care educators” as well as “relevant sources, reference tools, and information” on products and services which facilitate education, particularly in “the field of patient and family education” (HCEA, 2017). The organization seeks to “demonstrate the value of a comprehensive approach to health care education and training” as a strategy for “achieving institutional and individual goals” (HCEA, 2017). The organization also seeks to “participate in and recommend action on national issues relative to health care education,” particularly focusing on patient and family education (HCEA, 2017). Finally, the organization encourages collaboration and networking between professionals and other organizations that focus on health care education. HCEA (2017) lists its vision as “improved quality of life for all people through excellence in health care communication, education, and engagement.” The association also has a list of core values which include diversity, integrity, being evidence-based, being patient-centered, advocacy, innovation, life-long learning, commitment to excellence, and collaboration (HCEA, 2017).
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HCEA provides access to resources and tools to health care educators which are intended to facilitate improved health care outcomes through the process of education. To this end the direct health care educators towards resources which they have vetted or produced themselves (such as bibliographies of resources), encouraging participation in listservs/discussion lists, amassing lists of relevant advertisements and postings, and is currently pursuing a certification program. It also holds conferences, with the most recent to be held in September in Salt Lake City. There are also several committees which help run the organization and some which focus on different topics intended to carry out the mission and goals of the organization.
There are four types of membership, and the dues one pays depends on the type of membership one has. Individual membership is $95 per year; student membership is $45 per year. To join as part of the AHCEP Fellowship costs $100 which includes the processing of application. After that, the individual can renew their membership for $35 per year. This membership expires on the same day one’s HCEA membership expires. Patron membership is $250 per year; this membership is described as being for “individuals who are committed as a special friend of the Association in professional and financial support” (HCEA, 2017). One can join and/or renew online, through email, or over the phone; the contact information for all of these channels is available through the association’s website. A digital application to apply for membership is available on the website.
There are several benefits for each level of membership. For the individual membership, one receives access to professional development opportunities, networking opportunities, discounts for the national conference, “e-blasts” (which seem to be like emails or digests of “time-sensitive, health care educator-related information”), discounts on products and services from HCEA, access to the members-only sections and resources on the website, access to listservs, committee participation, and scholarship opportunities for the conference. The student membership offers some of the same benefits, though without access to committee participation or conference scholarships. The patron membership offers many of the same opportunities, with the bonus of being recognized as a Patron Membership in conference materials and on the website, though membership lists are only accessible to members. Board members are listed publicly on the website.
I would choose to join this organization because it seems to be a good source of aggregating resources, materials, and tools, not to mention a good way of networking. The fact that it hosts a national conference is also a significant draw. Being able to become a member as a student is a great way of demonstrating my dedication to health care education. There are several benefits on top of the networking and professional development opportunities such as the discounts and scholarship opportunities. Additionally, if the organization’s certification program is established, that is another excellent way of demonstrating a dedication to life-long learning with professional benefits. If there is anything that might deter me from becoming a member it would be that the organization has several corporate sponsors which might cast doubt on the objectivity of certain products and services.
