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Christensen appointed Fellow of American College of Healthcare Executives |
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Wednesday, 24 January 2007 |
 Jim Christensen, the PMC of the Pondera Medical Center was informed that he has received an appointment to Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
The honor promotes him to the highest level of recognition and achievement within his profession of healthcare administration.
Christensen has completed all coursework towards a Doctoral degree in Healthcare Administration education. He says, however, he has deferred the completion of his dissertation portion of the PhD due to current lack of ambition, time and finances. Nevertheless, he plans on completing this highest degree at some point in the not too distant future.
Throughout his 28 years in healthcare he has worked and been either a board member or officer in any number of community organization, including Lions, Sertoma, Rotary, Jaycees, Chamber of Commerce, Explorer Scout, American Legion, County Healthcare Administrator, Missouri State Regional Planning Commissioner, Old Creamery Theeatre, Players, Northern Montana Healthcare Alliance, Sletten Regional Cancer Center board, Montana Hospital Association, the local EDC to name a few.
He has also had a wide variety of job experience and some of those include EMT/Para-Rescue/Para-Medic, Communications Officers, Medic, an ambulance company manager, a Respiratory Therapists, purchasing director, safety officer, Phlebotomist, construction worker, Human Resources Director, ER Assistant, trust officer, finance officer, University Professor of Advanced Business Management, a mortuary attendant, a gas station worker, car polisher and transporter, a meat cutter, a grocery box boy, and a floor sweeper at a John Deer dealership.
He commented, “Each and every job held made me a much better worker and person and created a continuing desire for advancing my education and understanding of each endeavor.”
Christensen is a life-long learner and says he thrives on educational surprises. “Every time I learn that some previously held notion of fact or figure is wrong, I am absolutely shocked.”
He went on to say, “Often the knowledge we assumed in our early years becomes dated or vastly altered over the year and I find it remarkable that so much has changed over these years and that so much continues to change at such an accelerated pace.”
He and his wife Susan have been married for 35 years. She is an RN, employed at the PMC, in the Extended Care Unit. With a wry smile, he gives credit for his creative fashion sense to her as well as the fact that he talks to himself when alone.
Courtesy of the U.S. military, he has traveled extensively touching down in Japan, Guam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Kowloon, S. Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Turkey, and all of the U.S. except Main, Vermont and New Hampshire.
When not dealing with the rigors of hospital administration or furthering his education, he has a love hate relationship with golf, like to fish, but not necessarily catching them, hunting but not necessarily shooting, and camping, but not necessarily roughing it.
He likes to read biographical and historical books, collect coins, stamps, rocks, junk, music, movies and first edition books.
“I relax with good cheap wine, Susan and our two guard dogs, Smalls and Scooter or a good book or movie,” he says.
Earning his position as a Fellow in his professional organization is a gold of long-standing. “I never concentrated on it as the end-all, be-all of my career,” he said, “I just concentrated on trying to run my hospitals as effectively as I was capable and over time, I realized I had more than enough criteria to meet the qualifications.”
Along with emphasizing a continuing education, Christensen credits a light heart, an understanding wife and family, and a well-honed sense of humor with his ability to maneuver the healthcare challenges of today.
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