Hospital State Leaders are Grassroots Champions
The American Hospital Association Grassroots Champion Award recognizes those hospital leaders who most effectively educate elected officials on how major issues affect the hospital’s vital role in the community, who have done an exemplary job in broadening the base of community support for the hospital and who are tireless advocates for hospitals and their patients.
The 2017 Grassroots Champions are:
Alabama – L. Keith Granger
President and Chief Executive Officer, Grandview Medical Center
Alaska – Barbara Bigelow
Administrator, Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center
Arizona – Brian Turney
Administrator and Chief Executive Officer, Kingman Regional Medical Center
Arkansas – Gary L. Bebow, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer, White River Health System
California – Elly Garner
Director, Government Affairs, Palomar Health
Colorado – Sheri Trahern
Chief Executive Officer, St. Thomas More Hospital
Connecticut – Kurt A. Barwis, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer, Bristol Hospital & Health Care Group
District of Columbia – Kathleen Chavanu Gorman, MSN, RN, FAAN
Executive Vice President, Patient Care Services & Chief Operating Officer, Children’s National Health System
Delaware – Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH
President and Chief Executive Officer, Christiana Care Health System
Florida – Keri Eisenbeis
Director of Government Relations and Community Outreach, BayCare Health System
Georgia – Candice Saunders
President and Chief Executive Officer, WellStar Health System
Hawaii – Michael Robinson
Vice President, Government Relations & Community Affairs, Hawai’i Pacific Health
Idaho – Dallas Clinger
President and Chief Executive Officer, Power County Hospital District
Illinois – James Prister
President and Chief Executive Officer, RML Specialty Hospital
Indiana – Matt Bailey
President, South Central Region Indiana University Health
Iowa – Angela Mortoza
Chief Executive Officer, Dallas County Hospital
Kansas – George M. Stover
Chief Executive Officer, Hospital District #1 of Rice County
Kentucky – Kevin Halter, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital
Louisiana – W.F. “Bud” Barrow, II
Chief Executive Officer, Beauregard Memorial Hospital
Maryland – Dean A. Teague, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer, Calvert Health System
Massachusetts – Christine C. Schuster, RN, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer, Emerson Hospital
Michigan – Edward Bruff
President and Chief Executive Officer, Covenant HealthCare
Minnesota – Carl P. Vaagenes
Chief Executive Officer, Douglas County Hospital
Mississippi – Steve Vaughan
Chief Executive Officer, Pearl River County Hospital
Missouri – Laureen Tanner, RN, MSN, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer, Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital
Montana – Cherie Taylor
Chief Executive Officer, Northern Rockies Medical Center
Nebraska – Fiona Libsack, FACHE, MPA, APR
Vice President Marketing and Support Services, Great Plains Health
Nevada – Susan Davila
Chief Executive Officer, Desert View Hospital
New Hampshire – John A. Marzinzik
President and Chief Executive Officer, Frisbie Memorial Hospital
New Jersey – Douglas A. Struyk
President and Chief Executive Officer, Chirstian Health Care Center
New Mexico – John Harris
Chief Executive Officer, Memorial Medical Center
New York – Steven I. Goldstein
President and Chief Executive Officer, Strong Memorial Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer, Highland Hospital Vice President, University of Rochester Medical Center
North Carolina – Kathy C. Bailey, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer, Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge
North Dakota – Reed E. Reyman
President, CHI St. Alexius Health Dickson Medical Center
Ohio – Kristen D.W. Morris
Chief Government and Community Relations Officer, Cleveland Clinic
Oklahoma – Charles L. Spicer, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer, OU Medical System
Oregon – Rick Yecny
Chief Administrative Officer/Chief Mission Officer, PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center
Pennsylvania – Susan Croushore
President and Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico – Jorge L. Matta
Executive Director, Hospital Auxilio
Rhode Island – Christopher Lehrach, M.D., MBA
President, L+M Medical Group and VP and Chief Transformation Officer, L+M Healthcare
South Dakota – Nick Fosness
Chief Executive Officer, Marshall County Healthcare Center- Avera
Tennessee – Paul Korth
Chief Executive Officer, Cookeville Regional Medical Center
Texas – Brad Holland
Chief Executive Officer, Cedar Park Regional Medical Center
Utah – Mark Holyoak
Administrator, Castleview Hospital
Vermont – Claudio Fort
President and Chief Executive Officer, North Country Hospital and Health Center
Virginia – E.W. Tibbs
President and Chief Executive Officer, Centra Health, Inc.
Washington – Mike Glenn
Chief Executive Officer, Jefferson Healthcare
West Virginia – Kevin Fowler
President and Chief Executive Officer, Cabell Huntington Hospital
Wisconsin – Joan M. Coffman
President and Chief Executive Officer, Hospital Sister Health System (HSHS) St. Joseph’s Hospital
Wyoming – B. Yvonne Wigington
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Wyoming Medical Center