Announcing Changes in the ADHA 800 Number Service

For more than 10 years ADHA has provided toll free 800 phone service to help our members stay in touch with us. In the past few years the usage of this service has declined sharply due general decline in land-line service and cell phone wireless plans that include an abundance of free long distance minutes.

In these tough economic times, the Finance Committee and Board of Trustees closely scrutinized many programs and projects and the costs associated with them in the budget for FY 2009/2010.

It was determined to phase out the 800# for a number of reasons:

• Maintaining the 800# is quite expensive costing $30,000 annually
• The usage of the 800# has steadily declined with only a fourth of the calls coming in on that number in any given month
• The prevalence of cell phone calling plans with unlimited calling around the US seems to be rendering 800#s obsolete
• The massive increase of email (and free email accounts) as the preferred form of communications
• 800#s are no longer a common practice in the association environment

The 800# will continue to be maintained until July 1, 2009. After that time, for a three month period, any calls coming in to that line will route to a voicemail message instructing the member to contact 312-440-8900. Please note that this line will not accept messages. The line will be shut off completely on October 1, 2009.