Two Valley Health System Executives Earn Top Healthcare Management Credential
Ijafeh Akpe, Assistant System Director of Health Information Management and Physician/Clinical Documentation Improvement for The Valley Health System, and Stephanie Lim, Director of Business Development for Spring Valley Hospital
Ijafeh Akpe and Stephanie Lim of The Valley Health System recently became Fellows of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders. “I’m very proud of both Ijafeh’s and Stephanie’s recognition,” said Karla Perez, Regional Vice President, The Valley Health System. “These are hard-earned certifications which highlight their dedication to professionalism in a continually evolving industry.”
“The healthcare management field plays a vital role in providing high-quality care to the people in our communities, which makes having a standard of excellence promoted by a professional organization critically important,” says Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE, President and Chief Executive Officer of ACHE.
Ijafeh and Stephanie join other ACHE Fellows currently within The Valley Health System, including:
- Jerrica George, Chief Operating Officer, Centennial Hills Hospital
- Ryan Jensen, CEO/Managing Director, Desert Springs Hospital
- Christi Keliipio, Director of Medical/Surgical Nursing and Acute Rehab Units, Summerlin Hospital
- Ryan Moon, Chief Operating Officer, Spring Valley Hospital
Fellow status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. In fact, only 9,100 healthcare executives hold this distinction. To obtain Fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional/community involvement. Fellows are also committed to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years. Both Akpe and Lim are now privileged to use the FACHE® credential, which signifies board certification in healthcare management and ACHE Fellow status.
About the American College of Healthcare Executives
The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of more than 40,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. ACHE offers its prestigious FACHE® credential, signifying board certification in healthcare management. ACHE's established network of more than 78 chapters provides access to networking, education and career development at the local level. In addition, ACHE is known for its magazine, Healthcare Executive, and its career development and public policy programs. Through such efforts, ACHE works toward its goal of being the premier professional society for healthcare executives dedicated to improving healthcare delivery. The Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives was established to further advance healthcare management excellence through education and research. The Foundation of ACHE is known for its educational programs — including the annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws more than 4,000 participants — and groundbreaking research. Its publishing division, Health Administration Press, is one of the largest publishers of books and journals on health services management including textbooks for college and university courses.