Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Manning Regional Healthcare Center (MRHC), Amy McLaughlin, CPA, has completed the Iowa Hospital Association’s (IHA) Advanced Leadership Academy. A select group of 134 participants have graduated from the academy since its inception in 2014. Those attending the program hear from highly-regarded industry speakers during their quarterly, full-day sessions. They also take part in the IHA’s governance forum and summer leadership program, tour diverse hospital settings and meet healthcare leaders, work with experts to improve their public speaking and communication skills and complete improvement projects at their facilities. McLaughlin says the experience has allowed her to take her education beyond finance. “I’ve had the privilege of learning from and interacting with some of the state’s most influential healthcare leaders over the past year,” she says. “I hope to apply the leadership development techniques from the program in my everyday role here and pass along what I’ve learned to my team members and peers at MRHC.” The curriculum of the leadership academy includes best practices, process improvement, finance, dealing with interpersonal conflict, state and federal advocacy, media and crisis communication, creating collaborative cultures and medical staff relations. CEO, Linn Block, says they are proud of McLaughlin and her accomplishments as it is demonstrative of their ongoing commitment to the professional development and training of the organization’s leaders.