Sometimes the best way to advance in a career is to follow in the steps of those who are successful in the field. Zunner E. Soliz, CPA, FACHE, manager of accounting services at Broward Health, first joined the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) after realizing that her company’s CEO was a Fellow; since then, she has continued to take advantage of the mentoring services provided by the organization.

“I first joined ACHE in December of 2013 when I was the finance manager at the VA foundation,” explained Soliz. “The new CEO of the Miami VA Healthcare System was an ACHE Fellow, and after researching the organization, I realized that it could help me grow in my career.”

Soliz, who has been at Broward Health for five years, works as an accounting manager at the corporate level, overseeing the health system’s property, plant and equipment. Her team is responsible for the acquisition of equipment and all capital expenditures.

Before joining Broward Health, Soliz worked at the Miami VA for eight years, where she began as a bookkeeper and later advanced to becoming the chief operating officer of the VA Foundation. She has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Universidad Mayor de San Simon, and holds a Master of Science in Taxation from Florida International University. She is also a Certified Public Accountant.

While there are many reasons that Soliz appreciates her membership in ACHE and its local chapter, the South Florida Healthcare Executive Forum (SFHEF), she especially appreciates the educational opportunities that it provides.

“I try to go to almost every meeting and presentation because I learn so much,” she explained. “It really broadens my perspective. In accounting, it’s easy to just focus on the numbers, but these meetings help me better understand their importance. They are not just numbers, but numbers that are helping patients get better, or that are helping physicians grow into bigger markets. It gives me a better understanding of how what we’re doing fits in.

“The mentoring aspect is also very important to me; through ACHE, I connected with a mentor in New Orleans, and we spend time talking on the phone, with him giving me guidance on how I can grow as a leader,” she said, adding that she has also signed up with the organization to mentor others.

While Soliz would like to serve on SFHEF’s board, her current schedule doesn’t allow for it as her job duties come first.

“I’ve been asked to join SFHEF’s board, but it meets on the first Wednesday of the month, which is my busiest time because I’m closing out financial statements for the prior month at that time,” she explained. “I would be doing the organization a disservice if I could not attend the meetings.”

Soliz currently serves as the treasurer of the Women’s Healthcare Executive Network (WHEN), and also served as a board member of the American Women’s Society of Certified Public Accountants (AWSCPA). She also volunteers as a wish granter for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I definitely recommend to others that they join SFHEF; I not only tell the people at Broward Health, but I have submitted the recommendation to ACHE for someone I met in church to fellow,” she said. “I see all the time how its mentoring, networking, and educational sessions are fundamental for me in expanding my knowledge to become a better healthcare professional.”