The Robert M. Shelton Award for Sustained Excellence

Purpose
The purpose of this award is to recognize those chapters that demonstrate sustained excellence, over a five-year period, in the provision of services to members that meets their quality requirements and contributes to the growth of the Association’s human and financial resources.

Eligibility

• Chapters that have met the charter requirements in each of the prior five years are eligible.
• Chapters that win this award are not eligible to win the award for the following five years.
• Chapters do not need to apply for consideration — all chapters who met charter requirements will be considered.

Criteria
The judges will review the chapter performance data collected through the Davis Chapter Management System and the data collected from previous years through the Graham L. Davis program. Judging criteria include service to members through activities with emphasis on:

• quality and variety in educational programs
• high performance in relation to other chapters
• steady growth in membership
• quality of chapter management practices
• quality of member communications
• competency in pursuing and achieving cooperative efforts with other chapters and other organizations.

Limits
There are no limits to the number of chapters that may win this award.

Judging
The chairman of the HFMA Board of Directors appoints a five-member committee of judges to determine award winners. This committee includes at least three former HFMA board chairpersons and two members representing currently ineligible winners.

Award Announcement
The winning chapter(s) is announced and recognized at the Annual Chapter Presidents Dinner and Meeting during the Annual National Institute in June.

Bob Shelton, FHFMA, CAE, began his association with healthcare in August, 1949, when he took the position of controller at Mercer Hospital in Trenton, New Jersey. During the next year, he joined the American Association of Hospital Accountants (AAHA), later to be known as HFMA. Bob was elected the first President of the New Jersey Chapter in January, 1955. In 1957 Bob was elected first Vice President of AAHA, and he worked closely with President Henry Hottum of Memphis to implement Association programs. In June, 1958, Bob began his own term as President. He was among 19 who had passed the first Fellowship examination the previous year. In June, 1959, Bob accepted the position of Executive Director of AAHA which had 3,200 members in 58 chapters. During Bob’s tenure in this position, the Association underwent many changes and advancements. In 1971, Bob Shelton received the Frederick C. Morgan Award, the Association’s highest award for individual achievement. In 1978, all significant changes in the structure of HFMA were implemented, and Bob became one of three Vice Presidents.

Bob Shelton’s retirement on May 31, 1981, marked the end of an era in the Association. He was on the staff for 22 years. During this period, a small group of hospital accountants expanded into a respected and influential professional organization in excess of 20,000 hospital financial managers.

On his 20th anniversary of service with the Hospital Financial Management Association, and in recognition of his exemplary service and meritorious contribution to HFMA, its members, chapters, and Board of Directors established the Robert M. Shelton Award for Sustained Chapter Excellence.

This award is presented each year to the single chapter judged as displaying exemplary service to members over a sustained period of the immediate past five years. The award, in the form of a beautiful traveling trophy, was unveiled in 1979 and was presented for the first time in 1980.

Chapters do not need to apply for consideration — all chapters are eligible. Judging is based on information submitted under the Graham L. Davis Chapter Incentive Program. Reports for the five-year period (including the Highlight Reports) are reviewed by the judges, along with other statistical data (including number of Founders Award recipients, Fellows and CMPA’s, net membership growth, awards earned and so forth). Judging criteria include service to members through chapter activities with emphasis on:

• Quality and variety in educational programs.
• High performance in relation to other chapters.
• Steady growth in membership.
• Quality of chapter projects.
• Quality of member communications and Membership Directory.
• Competency in achieving cooperative effort with state or metropolitan hospital associations.
• Competency in pursuing cooperative efforts with other chapters in the region.

Robert M. Shelton Award Recipients

2009 Hudson Valley, NY Chapter
2008 Sunflower (Kansas)
2007 North Carolina
2006 Oklahoma
2005 Tennessee
2004 Iowa
2003 Eastern Michigan
2002 Maine
2001 Appalachian Chapter of Central Pennsylvania
2000 Alabama & Rochester Regional
1999 ALABAMA
1998 Mississippi & North Carolina
1997 South Carolina
1996 Southern Illinois
1995 Alabama
1994 ALABAMA
1993 Northern California
1992 Alabama
1991 South Dakota
1990 Eastern Michigan
1989 Oregon
1988 South Carolina
1987 Georgia
1986 South Dakota
1985 Oregon
1984 South Carolina
1983 Tennessee
1982 Eastern Michigan
1981 Hawaii
1980 Massachusetts