Michael Spooner, MD MBA CHSE FACC FHRS FSSH
Mercy One North Iowa Heart Center
Mason City, IA
For the position of: Treasurer
Over the past two years, I have had the honor to serve as Treasurer of the SSH. During this time, we have seen the Society through volatile financial times and continued to create balanced budgets. We have kept up with inflationary pressures that have driven up the cost of inperson meetings. Even with these challenges, and through the Board’s implementation of a new strategic plan, we have continued to show growth in membership and IMSH attendance. We have maintained our core investments, giving us the necessary stability to grow and innovate. With an eye to operational sustainability and growth, we have considered innovative and cost-effective ways to grow advocacy, education, accreditation, certification and research within our Society through new programs and through recently implemented association and learning management software solutions. We continue to balance our need to innovate and grow with the need to maintain financial security in these uncertain economic times.
Over the past 17 years as a physician and educator, I have grown in my leadership of simulation, clinical, and educational teams during my time in the U.S. Navy, and now during my retirement as a cardiology fellowship program director. One of the most valuable decisions in my career was to complete my Masters in Business Administration in 2004 as a clinic director. Learned through my MBA was the ability to assess environmental opportunities and threats, followed by applying organizational strengths to the environment in an effort maximize success. In the role of treasurer, I feel my business background continues to help position the SSH as the global leader in healthcare simulation. Our future successes continue to be driven by our ability to value and promote our “competitive advantage,” the diverse contributions of our simulation experts – educators, caregivers, technologists, scientists and simulation specialists.