New Board Officers and Elected Directors to Drive AAAHC Strategic Plan

At the November Board Meeting, AAAHC President and CEO, Noel M. Adachi, introduced the new Officers and Directors elected to serve on the next AAAHC Board. Comprising leaders from diverse areas of ambulatory health care, the Board will advance AAAHC’s mission of improving health care quality through accreditation. With the support of its new leadership, AAAHC continues to reinforce its1095 Strong, quality every day philosophy to drive quality improvement initiatives across the ambulatory health care landscape.

The strength of the AAAHC Board of Directors reflects its commitment to ambulatory care with experience from a wide array of backgrounds.

AAAHC proudly introduces the following elected Board Officers and Directors.

New Board Officers

Steven Butz, MD, Board Chair, practices pediatric anesthesiology in the Milwaukee area. He holds board certifications in anesthesia and pediatric anesthesia by the American Board of Anesthesiology.

Lawrence Kim, MD, Board Chair-Elect, has actively volunteered for AAAHC for more than 20 years and has served in numerous roles including AAAHC Surveyor and most recently, Secretary/Treasurer. Dr. Kim is a partner at South Denver Gastroenterology, a 27-physician independent GI practice in Colorado. He currently serves as President of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and has also served on the Board of Directors for the Digestive Health Physicians Association (DHPA), an advocacy group for independent GI practices.

Joy Himmel, Psy.D, LCPC, NCC, RN, FACHA, Immediate Past Board Chair, is the first licensed behavioral health provider elected as AAAHC Board Chair, the sixth female Board Chair, and the third college health professional elected to the position in the organization’s history.

Valerie Kiefer, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, Secretary-Treasurer, has more than 40 years of experience in health care, which includes critical care, emergency transport as a flight nurse paramedic, special procedures, internal medicine, primary care, and college health.

Elected Board Directors

M. Edmund Braly, DDS, FACS, brings more than four decades of clinical and leadership experience to the AAAHC Board of Directors. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the National Board of Dental Anesthesiology. Dr. Braly is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS).

Jan Brown, RN, BSHM, CPHQ, has been elected to a second three-year term on the AAAHC Board, extending her long-standing commitment to advancing health care quality and safety. With more than 40 years in health care and 17 years as a AAAHC Surveyor, she brings deep clinical expertise and governance insight to the role.

Ira Cheifetz, DMD, brings a distinguished record of clinical leadership and professional service to the AAAHC Board of Directors. A seasoned oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Cheifetz successfully led a multi-location practice, overseeing both clinical excellence and business operations.

Temple O. Robinson, MD, has more than 30 years of experience in both private and public health care, and serves as Chief Executive Officer of a AAAHC Accredited health center in Florida. Dr. Robinson is widely recognized as a leader in community health, with deep expertise in FQHC operations, regulatory compliance, and strategic development.

Arnaldo Valedon, MD, MBA, brings a wealth of clinical, operational, and governance expertise to the AAAHC Board of Directors. With a career spanning leadership in anesthesia practices and outpatient surgical centers, Dr. Valedon’s commitment to advancing patient safety and quality care is reflected in his extensive involvement with AAAHC.

AAAHC’s incoming leaders are poised to guide strategic growth and continuous quality improvement in ambulatory health care. By driving innovation, setting high standards, and providing educational support, AAAHC empowers health care professionals to deliver the best possible patient care. Their leadership will be instrumental in guiding AAAHC’s strategic direction and advancing its mission to improve health care quality through accreditation.

Find more information on the AAAHC Board of Directors here

2025 Kershner Finalists Share their Road to Success

The AAAHC Institute Quality Advisory Committee (IQAC) selected six organizations as finalists for this year’s Bernard A. Kershner Innovations in Quality Improvement Award, a recognition of their successful efforts to enhance patient care, streamline processes, and improve efficiencies. These finalists have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in health care, implementing solutions that measurably improved quality within their organizations.

The IQAC appointed an Expert Panel to review a wide range of quality improvement study submissions. The IQAC selected six finalists as the leaders in primary care and surgical/procedural organization categories. Their studies not only achieved and sustained improvement outcomes but also provide valuable examples for others seeking to make meaningful improvements.

To celebrate these achievements, all finalists were featured in The Road to Success with Kershner QI Study Finalists. This complimentary webinar offers a great opportunity for other organizations to learn from the finalists’ efforts and path to success. Additionally, voting is now opened for the “People’s Choice” award, allowing organizations to vote for their favorite study.

The organizations and their studies are:

Primary Care

Georgia Institute of Technology—Stamps Health Services—Automating Immunization Compliance
Reduced the number of manually processed immunization documents by 30% and the number of immunization holds placed by 41% for incoming students, exceeding the goal of 25%
The University Health Services at the University of Texas, Austin—Antibiotic Prescriptions for Urinary Tract Infections
Improved UTI empiric antibiotic prescribing from 88% to 97% for primary care providers at UHS exceeding the goal of 90%
New York University Student Health Center—Closing the Immunization Gap: A Quality Improvement Initiative to Increase Vaccine Uptake in Student Health
Improved HPV vaccination uptake by 124% and Tdap by 94% among students at the Brooklyn campus student health center, exceeding the 10% improvement goal

Surgical/Procedural

Walnut Creek Endoscopy & Surgery Center— Improving Day of Surgery Cancellation Rate
Decreased the day of surgery cancellation rates from 4.27% to 1.65%, exceeding the goal of achieving a rate below 2.3%
The University of Kansas Health System, Indian Creek Campus Ambulatory Surgery Center—Blood Glucose Documentation Improvement Study
Improved inconsistent and/or absent blood glucose documentation from 2% to 0.8% exceeding goal of below 1%, demonstrating a 75% reduction in missed documentation occurrences
Surgery Center San Carlos. Warming up to Quality—The Normothermia Initiative
Improved Normothermia metric from 97.51% in 2023 to 99.86% in 2024 and achieved 100% compliance in the last 12 months

The two winners of the Kershner QI Award will be announced at the Achieving Accreditation conference on December 11, 2025 in Las Vegas. Congratulations to all of the finalists.

View the on demand “Road to Success” webinar

Review the finalist posters and vote for your favorite study

Understanding CRNA Practice Authority: Essential Compliance Considerations

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are essential providers of anesthesia care across diverse clinical settings. However, their authority to practice independently varies significantly by state. Some states grant full practice authority, allowing CRNAs to work without physician supervision, while others require collaborative agreements or direct oversight. For ambulatory health care organizations, understanding and aligning with these state-specific regulations is critical to maintaining compliance.

The AAAHC v44 Standards offer a comprehensive framework for ensuring safe, high-quality patient-centered care. Standard ASG.130 mandates that immediately before surgery, a qualified practitioner—such as a CRNA or anesthesiologist’s assistant as defined in §410.69(b)—must evaluate the patient’s anesthesia risk. This requirement underscores the importance of privileging CRNAs appropriately and in accordance with state law. Credentialing standards (CPV.100–CPV.230) require verification of licensure, education, and clinical competence. Organizations must also monitor ongoing compliance with federal guidelines, including CMS supervision rules for Medicare reimbursement. Resources like the AANA Scope of Practice Guide and State Practice Map provide up-to-date regulatory insights.

Having clear protocols and regulatory alignment enables safe, cost-effective care while demonstrating continuous compliance aligned with AAAHC’s 1095 Strong, quality every day philosophy.

Conferences & Exhibits

Institute for Healthcare Improvement, December 7–10, Anaheim, CA
National Association of Community Health Centers, February 9–12, Washington, D.C.
Regent Surgical Health, February 17–19, Las Vegas, NV