The Top 10 Organizations For Healthcare Advisors to Network

In the healthcare industry, making a name for yourself and developing a brand takes a lot of legwork. A stand-out brand is especially important for advisors as they aim to differentiate themselves and their advisory field in a crowded marketplace.

To build awareness of your brand and your contribution to organizations for healthcare, you need to get in the habit of networking with the right people and leveraging those connections to help your business grow. The optimal strategy is to lean into the most viable markets and pinpoint the organizations that will serve you most in the long run.

Below are just a few of the professional organizations for healthcare—explore these further if you’re working in a specialty field or with a certain demographic. As you dive deeper into ways to meet potential clients, you can explore these options both based on their reach and size, while keeping an eye out for variety in organization type to expand your reach and give you a broader idea of where you can take your business.

Let’s look at the top organizations you can engage with to build your brand awareness.

Healthcare Compliance Association (HCCA)

The HCCA is the leading organization dedicated to healthcare compliance. Its membership of 12,000 experts work to enforce the legal, professional, and ethical standards of the medical and healthcare professions. They have a number of publications for reviewing or submitting articles to develop your brand, as well as the COSMOS compliance tool with which you can explore and connect with other regulatory professionals.

American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)

The ACHE is a 48,000-member strong organization spanning CEOs and medical administrative professionals of all stripes. They boast one of the most robust programming schedules of any of the organizations for healthcare listed, including numerous networking events and online groups like their Early Careerists Network and Healthcare Consultants Forum.

American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)

As a multifaceted group with a varied professional membership, AHIMA represents, in their own words, those who “work at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and business.” As a nonprofit, they strongly encourage and promote volunteerism among members and champion the proliferation and accessibility of health information. On top of that, their publications and podcast offer a chance for you to establish yourself as a thought leader among your peers.

Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)

Focused on the professional and managerial sector of healthcare, the MGMA represents an excellent opportunity to present yourself as an advisor to other healthcare executives and facility managers. It’s also dedicated to bringing up the next generation of healthcare professionals, meaning you’d be making relationships with those at the ground floor of their careers. They also host a helpful Ask an Advisor program—you can either explore advisory-specific questions or potentially serve as the eponymous advisors for outside individuals (and potentially, future clients).

Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS)

Similar to but more specialized than the HCCA, RAPS points you to the hard-working professionals involved in the detail-heavy field of regulatory affairs in healthcare. Based in Washington, D.C., they’re one of the most directly politically inclined organizations for healthcare on this list—joining could serve you well in navigating the ever-changing legislation landscape. Their Regulatory Exchange networking platform (known as RegEx) is a handy way to connect with other members, discuss in open forums, and even find volunteer opportunities.

National Healthcare Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA)

A great resource, especially if you’re a legal advisor, the NHCAA is a management- and government-focused organization that specializes in ethics and fraud protection for healthcare professionals. Membership would help you develop an image of authority in protecting medical practices from financial mistrust. Membership also affords you access to their wide network of healthcare partnership organizations and government liaisons.

Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)

Running 75 years strong, the HFMA is a 71,000-member organization that promotes finance leaders across healthcare, including payer markets and business partners. Membership is particularly helpful if you’re a financial advisor, as they connect and promote financial professionals across disciplines and offer numerous continuing education courses. They’re also known for a number of industry initiatives, which offer specialized insights into the future of healthcare.

Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD)

A key link for advisors developing a brand, the SHSMD isn’t as large as other organizations for healthcare on this list but wields a solid amount of influence within the industry. Their nearly 5,000 members represent a network of marketing and business development professionals who are on the cutting edge of communications, public relations, advertising, and physician relations. This organization is particularly focused on networking, hosting a wealth of symposiums, webinars, and conferences for idea sharing and growth.

National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)

As a more broadly defined organization, NAHQ represents a strong variety of professionals to connect with. This wide spectrum of fields shares a central focus on the overarching goal of improving the quality of the American medical system. For advisors, it can be a stepping stone for brand building and engaging further with other organizations for healthcare. They focus on continuing education and certification programs, which can be excellent aids for networking and brand development as well.

Institute for Diversity and Healthy Equity (IFDHE)

A subset of the American Hospital Association, the IFDHE provides equitable access to healthcare and promotes diversity in healthcare management and other professional fields. Their seasonal enrichment programs, hosted across the country, are a great chance to connect with like-minded individuals in healthcare.

As a healthcare advisor, getting your brand to a solid place of receiving regular work will take significant effort and networking. Reaching out to those you can help, and who can lift your own brand in return, will set your healthcare advisory business on a course to success.