Skip to Main Content
Don't have an account? Create Account
x
Don't have an account? Create Account

America’s Essential Hospitals Welcomes New Board Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON — New member leaders for America’s Essential Hospitals and its research, education, and dissemination arm, Essential Hospitals Institute, today officially began their roles guiding the organizations’ work.

“As part of our initiative to combat structural racism, we looked inward and made diverse perspectives a priority for our boards,” said Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH, president and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals. “Our new board members reflect that effort and add considerable experience that will advance our work to improve health care equity.”

Steve Purves, president and CEO of Valleywise Health, in Phoenix, becomes America’s Essential Hospitals’ board chair. He succeeds Susan Ehrlich, MD, MPP, CEO of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, in San Francisco, who becomes past-chair.

“It is an honor to chair our board at a time when essential hospitals are in the spotlight for leading the nation’s COVID-19 response,” Purves says. “I couldn’t be prouder of our organization, our board, our members, and the health care professionals on the front lines who have worked so hard to safeguard the health and well-being of our patients during an incredibly challenging year. As incoming board chair, one of my goals will be to raise awareness of the critical role our hospitals and affiliated organizations play keeping communities healthy.”

Eric Dickson, MD, MHCM, president and CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care, in Worcester, Mass., becomes the association’s new chair-elect. Janice Nevin, MD, MPH, president and CEO of ChristianaCare, in Wilmington, Del., becomes the board’s secretary. Charlie Shields, president and CEO of Truman Medical Centers/University Health, in Kansas City, Mo., becomes the board’s treasurer.

Parveen Chand, MHA, chief operating officer of Academic Health Center — Adult Hospitals at Indiana University Health, in Indianapolis, becomes chair of the Institute’s board. He succeeds Christine Neuhoff, JD, MBA, system vice president and chief legal officer of St. Luke’s Health System, in Boise, Idaho, who becomes past-chair.

“I have been engaged in the Institute’s work for many years, and I am humbled now to take the reins as the next chair of the Institute’s board,” Chand says. “I look forward to working alongside my board colleagues to support the organization’s ongoing advocacy work and to give our hospitals a voice on national issues, such as reducing health care disparities and improving access to care.”

The Institute’s chair-elect and secretary is Stuart Guterman, MA, an independent consultant based in Silver Spring, Md. Susan Cooper, MSN, chief integration officer and senior vice president of Regional One Health, in Memphis, Tenn., becomes treasurer. Siegel continues as recording secretary (ex officio).

New and Continuing Directors

America’s Essential Hospitals’ board welcomes these new at-large member directors:

  • Kathleen Becker, JD, MPH, CEO, UNM Hospitals, Albuquerque, N.M.;
  • Nina Dusang, chief financial officer, DCH Health System, Tuscaloosa, Ala.;
  • Shereef Elnahal, MD, MBA, president and CEO, University Hospital, Newark, N.J.; and
  • Leon Haley Jr., MD, MHSA, CEO, UF Health Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Fla.

These member leaders continue as at-large association board directors:

  • David Brenner, MD, vice chancellor for health sciences, UC San Diego Health System, San Diego;
  • Patrick Cawley, MD, MHM, executive director and CEO, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, S.C.;
  • Jacob Cintron, MBA, CEO, University Medical Center of El Paso, El Paso, Texas;
  • Sheldon McLeod, CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, Brooklyn, N.Y.;
  • Thomas Quatroche, PhD, president and CEO, Erie County Medical Center, Buffalo, N.Y;
  • Florence Spyrow, JD, MHA, MPA, MSN, president and CEO, Northern Arizona Healthcare, Flagstaff, Ariz.;
  • Karen Teitelbaum, MA, MM, president and CEO, Sinai Health System, Chicago;
  • Kate Walsh, MPH, president and CEO, Boston Medical Center, Boston; and
  • Joseph Webb, DSc, MSHA, CEO, Nashville General Hospital at Meharry, Nashville.

The Institute board added these new member directors:

  • Emily Blomberg, MHA, chief operating officer, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis; and
  • Darrell Terry Sr., MHA, MPH, president and CEO, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, Newark, N.J.

These member leaders continue as Institute board directors:

  • Brenda Battle, MBA, senior vice president, community health transformation; and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, UChicago Medicine, Chicago;
  • Rohit Bhalla, MD, MPH, senior vice president and chief clinical and quality officer, Stamford Hospital, Stamford, Conn.;
  • Melany Gavulic, RN, MBA, president and CEO, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Mich.;
  • Kim Hollon, MSHHA, president and CEO, Signature Healthcare Brockton, Brockton, Mass.; and
  • Shannon Sale, MHA, chief strategy officer, Grady Health, Atlanta.

These leaders continue as outside, at-large Institute directors:

  • Melinda Abrams, MS, executive vice president for programs, The Commonwealth Fund, New York;
  • Anand Shah, MD, MS, vice president of social health, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Calif.;
  • Dale Shaller, MPA, principal, Shaller Consulting Group, Stillwater, Minn.; and
  • Kevin Weiss, MD, MPH, MHSA, chief sponsoring institutions and clinical learning environment officer, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Chicago.

# # #

About America’s Essential Hospitals
America’s Essential Hospitals is the leading champion for hospitals and health systems dedicated to high-quality care for all, including the most vulnerable. We support our 300 members with advocacy, policy development, research, and education. Communities depend on essential hospitals to provide specialized, lifesaving services; train the health care workforce; advance public health and health equity; and coordinate care. Essential hospitals innovate and adapt to lead the way to more effective and efficient care. Learn more at essentialhospitals.org.

About Essential Hospitals Institute
Essential Hospitals Institute is the research, education, dissemination, and leadership development arm of America’s Essential Hospitals. The Institute supports the nation’s essential hospitals as they provide high-quality, equitable, and affordable care to their communities. Working with members of America’s Essential Hospitals, we identify promising practices from the field, conduct research, disseminate innovative strategies, and help our members improve their organizational performance. We do all of this with an eye toward improving individual and population health, especially for vulnerable people.

Contact:
Carl Graziano
cgraziano@essentialhospitals.org
202.585.0102

Share

About the Author

Dedicated staff at America's Essential Hospitals work together to produce high-quality, reliable content. Please view the about section for more details about staff.

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this