Stephen K Schwartz, CFO / Co-CEO, American Institute

Why vote for Stephen for ABHES Commissioner?

Many on our current ABHES Board have backgrounds primarily focused on the education side of things, as is to be expected and indeed as it should be. However, adding in diversity through a voice from someone like Stephen with a CFO and operations background who has experience on both the education and business side will bring added perspective to the conversation and enhance the Board’s ability to serve member needs with even deeper success.

Stephen is deeply committed to student outcomes and the longevity of ABHES and will work tirelessly to ensure that ABHES remains a quality accreditor that is well respected by our community and membership, as well as government officials at local, state, and national levels.

“My goal is to contribute to the ongoing evolution of ABHES and its members by adding my thoughtful and reasoned voice to those of our current Board representatives and our evaluations & standards development,” said Stephen.

“I love the work so my motivation is intrinsic – the work fuels me because I love dealing with people from students to staff to our wider community. The multi-aspect nature of the work is energizing and understanding the varying standards of healthcare education at differing levels excites me.“

Personal Info:

A father to four (two boys, two girls) and grandfather of two (one boy and one girl – so far!), Stephen is a dedicated family man who has lived happily with his wife and children in White Plains, NY for the past 25 years. Stephen loves all kinds of music (especially hip hop!) and playing tennis. A graduate of The University of Florida, he’s a long-time Gators fan and enjoys spending time in Florida whenever circumstances permit.

His best advice that he tries to live by each day is putting first things first – making sure to take care of the big things allows him to prevent minutia from stealing valuable time from what’s most important, whether that’s at work or at home with his family. He also embraces new ways to accomplish goals, and advises against becoming ‘too comfortable’ in whatever you’re doing – looking proactively for new ways to reach greater heights using evolving technologies and added expertise helps him grow and learn every day.

Q&A with Stephen

What do you think about our present challenges in healthcare education?

As a direct provider of healthcare education for the past several decades, I’ve been privy to the challenges that are before us from many angles and different levels. Whether it’s the need to work closely with the Department of Education to ensure the reputation of ABHES and member institutions remain in good standing or the continual updating of the laws and regulations governing healthcare workers across the sector, I’m able to adapt and anticipate future needs in ways that will help us all to grow and evolve as needed. I’ve been a member of CECU for the past 12 years, and involved in a variety of local political groups and regulatory council as well as forged long-standing positive relationships with prominent voices in the healthcare training sector and among the ABHES community that will ensure I continue to meet our challenges head-on.

Why do you want to join the board?

I’d like to contribute to the long-term success ABHES has enjoyed and ensure that it remains a quality accreditor that cares about student outcomes and its member institutions.

How would you identify trends that are impacting our sector?

Certainly we see an uptick in micro-certifications across post-secondary education that could be interesting when stacked together properly and provide flexibility for students and institutions to offer customized training that suits more niche opportunities as the areas of healthcare continue to evolve and specialize. The future of healthcare itself is evolving with technological advances occurring frequently and our training must evolve alongside to ensure our graduates are able to secure effective and long-term career growth in their chosen fields.

What do you like best about ABHES and the future it presents?

Building on the high quality foundation that ABHES has established, and from my personal experience at the annual conference, our membership is motivated and excited about the opportunities before them and I’m also excited to play a part in bringing that future to bear for all of us.

How will you find time to actively participate on the Board?

I may be aging myself a bit here, but using the old Covey principle of quadrants where you focus on urgent and important as your top priority and then important but not necessarily urgent allows me to keep moving important initiatives forward without getting lost in the weeds. I’m confident that approach will continue to serve me well as I undertake my board duties in the future.