Catherine Futch, MN, RN, CNAA, CHE, CHC
The immediate past president of the Academy of Ambulatory Nursing (AAACN) and the current Regional Compliance Officer for Kaiser Permanente Georgia, Catherine Futch is a highly effective leader. Her accomplishments include numerous leadership positions at Kaiser Permanente and elsewhere and her recognitions include being named the 2003 Woman of the Year Award from the Women Healthcare Executives, Georgia Chapter.
Yet when asked to describe a successful nursing leader, Catherine does not mention awards or appointments.
"A really good leader is one who can touch others in a meaningful way.one who has the ability to lead individuals and groups through very difficult moments.and one who is able to work collaboratively with lots of different individuals and groups." An inspired leader always sees opportunity and not defeat or barriers. They simply get things done even when others believe the work to be impossible."
A member of the AAACN, the voice of Ambulatory Care Nursing, since she joined Kaiser Permanente in 1995, Catherine became the group's president in April 2003. As such, she looked for new ways to articulate AAACN's value, express strategies for maintaining financial stability, and establish meaning and connectivity between the national organization and its grassroots members and nonmembers.
"We are the first to have four generations in the workplace at one time, each of them with a different expectation of what it means to be a professional employee." To help find solutions to these issues, Catherine encouraged the AAACN to discuss what today's and tomorrow's organizations should look like. A key result was the implementation of a new audio conference option for the group's membership. For a reasonable price, nurses got current content, CEUs and they never left home. "We got a tremendous response."
Currently serving as Past President of the AAACN, Catherine continues to look toward the future. "I think you should always have a plan for what you're going to do next," she said. Recently, Catherine taught herself woodworking and plans to learn how to play the piano when she retires. "The fun of learning new things is to know that I did it," she said. "It energizes you."