Healthcare facilities associations offer a slew of opportunities for positive exposure and increased sales for your business. In addition to health system organization members of hospital organizations, you will have opportunities to be recognized by other professional health system organization members, including businesses and government organizations that support the health systems associations.

Affiliation with an association of health systems provides lobbying and networking opportunities that can be immensely helpful to your own business interests while you support the industry. Membership in healthcare facilities associations often means access to information and contacts that can be important to your own company. Regional healthcare facilities organizations offer even more chances to network with local business leaders in your community. Use your membership in healthcare system associations in a number of different ways.

1. Expand your network through health systems associations

2. Support the industry by participating in healthcare facilities associations

3. Stay informed with association of health systems publications

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Develop business contacts in healthcare facilities organizations

Healthcare facilities and systems organizations hold regular meetings, seminars and conventions for members and interested parties. At health system organization events, as well as though various committees in which you could participate, you will have numerous occasions to socialize and network with other business people who support the health system organization. The business leaders you meet could offer a number of trade opportunities for you and your company.

I recommend: The American Society of Health System Pharmacists prepares leaders in the industry through training and networking. The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association is a lobbying health facilities association with many local chapters.

Show your interest by joining hospital organizations

If you want to do business with healthcare facilities, you will want to express your support as well as meet national and local leaders in the industry. You often can do this best by participating in health systems associations with both your presence and your financial support.

I recommend: The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers represents independently owned treatment facilities and their issues. Planetree consists of hospital and healthcare institution leaders who are interested in alternative forms of healing.

Keep your company in the loop through a health system organization

While you may not have time to participate in a trade group or volunteer on a committee, you can take advantage of membership in an association of health systems through the myriad publications they put out. By keeping up with the reports and news in the industry, you can pick and choose which events will be most beneficial for you to attend while keeping updated on changes or news that affect healthcare facilities and systems organizations industry-wide.

I recommend: The Integrated Healthcare Association provides a number of reports and publications for members to keep up with changes in the industry. The American Hospital Association is a huge network which serves its members with a myriad of resources and publications in addition to many opportunities to serve the association.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Send your top management team and salespeople to various healthcare facilities associations so that your company is well represented at every possible venue.