LI Course
CE Hours: 3 contact hours

Statement of Purpose and Institute Overview: The purpose of this Institute is to provide participants with methods to ensure agency sustainability. Standard financial management practices, beneficial for conducting routine financial assessments as well as for minimizing the adverse impacts of economic downturns, are provided. Included is an introduction to methods on how to use assessment information to build strategic direction and alliances. Participants will learn how to create a clear picture of an agency’s financial status by identifying early warning signs of financial and operational weaknesses as well as providing evidence of agency strengths. This information is critical to being able to change course quickly when necessitated by fluctuating environmental and economic conditions. Strategies for managing financial crisis and best practices for diversifying revenue streams, pooling resources, and reducing costs and expenditures will be presented. Information needed by agency leaders with fiduciary responsibilities and questions that they should be asking is provided. An overarching theme of the session is that sustainability is based, in part, on proactive, innovative, and transparent practices that routinely minimize risk while enhancing financial health and not on a single isolated solution once economic conditions decline.

Session Objectives: 1. Formulate a system to identify early-warning signs of agency financial and operational weaknesses 2. Describe "best-practices" to maximize diminishing resources 3. Analyze financial and operational trends

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)