Health Care Hall of Fame Past Inductees
Robert Shelton
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Inducted in 2004
Shelton was considered to be the vanguard of healthcare financial management. During his 19 years as executive director of the Healthcare Financial Management Association—once known as the American Association of Hospital Accountants—the group's membership grew to 18,000 from 3,200. During his tenure, Shelton helped launch and develop the HFMA's Annual National Institute; he also helped develop Healthcare Financial Management magazine, now known as HFM. The Medicare program went into effect in 1966, and Shelton played a key role in developing educational programs to make the program run smoothly for the government and the hospitals. After retiring, Shelton wrote a history of the HFMA called From Acorn to Oak.