The 2013 NSD Presidents’ Council of the Adventist HealthCare Association (AHCA) was held from September 23 – 26, in Penang, Malaysia. Twenty-seven hospital administrators participated, including the speakers, representing 11 member hospitals from the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD), one associate member hospital, and four sister hospitals from the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD). Participants who joined the Council came from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, and USA.
The Presidents’ Council is an annual event for hospital administrators to meet, and fellowship with each other for spiritual enrichment, networking, and continuing education. The guest speaker at this year’s council was Mr. Edward F. Reifsnyder, who is the President of the Reifsnyder Group from the USA. He helped start Adventist Health System, Orlando, Florida, and had served as Chief Financial Officer for 11 years, since 1973. He then helped start Adventist Health System/United States in 1985, and served as Chief Financial Officer during its five year history. He was heavily focused on strategic financial planning, developing capital to support growth, relationships with the capital markets, and building financial infrastructure.
Two morning devotionals were given by Pastor Joshua Mok, the President of Southeast Asia Union Mission, on the topic of Revival and Reformation, with emphasis on the Health Message, to challenge, and remind our hospital administrators the Mission of our healthcare institutions.
Mr. Reifsnyder gave his presentation "Forming a Health System – Discussing the Potential", which was very timely, and thought-provoking, in two morning sessions. On day one, focus was on the case study of the Adventist Health System (AHS) in the USA, and its Mission, Philosophy, and Realities with the group discussion on "What mission achievements are most important to our Healthcare Institutions?", and "What strategic and business results would you want from a Health System?" On day two, focus was on the legal, and governance structures, functions, and services provided by AHS, with the group discussion "Desired functions in a Health System", and "Recommendations to church leadership about forming a Health System".
On the afternoon of September 24, the participants went on a tour of Penang Adventist Hospital (PAH) guided by the Hospital President, Dr. Wesley Toh. The PAH was first established as a clinic in 1924, and today, as a 211 bed tertiary care facility, it provides first-class, high quality care to the local community.
The business session of AHCA was conducted in the afternoon of September 25. The business session dealt with some routine agenda items, and a vote was taken to appoint a Feasibility Study Committee to find if there could be a possibility of forming an Adventist Health System within the Northern Asia-Pacific Division. It was also voted to accept the nomination of AHCA officers for the year 2014-2015. The newly elected President of AHCA is Dr. Toshihiro Nishino, President of Tokyo Adventist Hospital, and the AHCA Secretary/Treasurer is Dr. Choi Myung Sup, President of Sahmyook Medical Center – Seoul Adventist Hospital. The AHCA advisor is Pastor Stanley Ng, Assistant to the NSD president.
AHCA is the umbrella organization over all the Adventist health-care institutions within the Northern Asia-Pacific Division. The purpose of the AHCA is to provide coordination, services, advice, and networking amongst the hospital administrators.