William J. Lubaway Named HFMA Morgan Award Recipient

The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) awarded the 2008 Frederick C. Morgan Achievement Award – the Association’s highest individual honor – to William J. Lubaway, FHFMA, CPA, principal at Lubaway Masten & Company Ltd. in Novi, Michigan. The award was presented during the annual Chairman’s Reception and Banquet at HFMA’s ANI: The Healthcare Finance Conference, which was held June 23-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Bill is always willing to push the envelope, to get people to think outside the box, to stretch their creative thought processes," said Jacqueline A. Primeau, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Mount Carmel Health System and past president of HFMA’s Eastern Michigan Chapter, adding that "Many, many people have benefited both personally and professionally from HFMA because of Bill Lubaway’s attention and encouragement."

Lubaway’s professional career includes being a CPA, consultant, hospital CFO, and, for the past 15 years, a partner in the healthcare financial consulting firm that bears his name.

A member of HFMA since 1970, Lubaway became immediately involved by conducting the chapter’s audit – and, since his early days in the association, Lubaway’s creativity has been on display.  As the chairman and editor of his chapter’s first newsletter, issues from the mid 1970′s even feature cartoons drawn by he and his wife, Diane. 

As a chapter president in the mid 1980′s, Lubaway established a multi-year planning process to assure committee chair succession planning, improve the value to members, and to sustain the viability of the chapter—the essence of this process is still in use by the chapter, today.

Over the years, Lubaway has remained consistently active and has chaired many committees of the Easter Michigan Chapter and has been recognized by HFMA on a national level and by HFMA’s Eastern Michigan Chapter.

Lubaway is the 50th recipient of this prestigious award that honors career-long contributions to healthcare financial management and HFMA.

About the Morgan Award
The award was named for Frederick C. Morgan, who joined the Association in 1948. His outstanding efforts included a six-year tenure as volunteer secretary-treasurer. The Morgan Award is the most prestigious individual award given by HFMA and is designed to encourage the spirit of service to the principles of the Association as fostered by Morgan himself. Morgan retired from healthcare in 1965 and died in Rochester, N.Y., in 1985. HFMA members and chapters may submit nominations for award consideration, which are reviewed by a committee.

About HFMA
HFMA is the nation’s leading membership organization for more than 34,000 healthcare financial management professionals employed by hospitals, integrated delivery systems, managed care organizations, ambulatory and long-term care facilities, physician practices, accounting and consulting firms and insurance companies. Members’ positions include chief executive officer, chief financial officer, controller, patient accounts manager, accountant and consultant. HFMA offers members ideas that work, including professional development opportunities, information on key issues, and technical data and networking opportunities, with the ultimate goal of creating a more supportive business environment for members. For more information, visit the Association’s website at www.hfma.org.