Press Release

Daniel L. Gross to Receive AHA Board of Trustees Award

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced that Daniel L. Gross, DNSc, RN, executive vice president of Sharp HealthCare in San Diego, will be awarded its 2017 Board of Trustees Award. The award is presented to individuals or groups who have made substantial and noteworthy contributions to the work of the AHA. Gross will receive the award at a ceremony at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting on Monday, May 8 in Washington, D.C.

Gross oversees four acute-care hospitals, three specialty hospitals, government relations, global patient services and clinical effectiveness at Sharp HealthCare. Gross began his career at Sharp in 1979 as a clinical nurse at Sharp Memorial Hospital. Over the years, he served as director of patient care services, regional director of patient care services and system vice president of clinical services. Prior to his role as executive vice president, Gross was CEO of the Sharp Metropolitan Medical Campus for 11 years, where he had oversight of three hospitals, an outpatient surgery center, home care services and two senior centers.

“Dan’s leadership and commitment to improving health care has been apparent in his service to the field. Serving on the AHA Board as a member of the executive committee, chair of the operations committee as well as a HRET board member, we have all benefited tremendously from his insight and acumen,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “As the field grapples with difficult policy discussions, we are always able to turn to Dan for his leadership and extensive knowledge of operational, financial and delivery innovations.”

Gross served as AHA Board member from 2012-2016, first as an at-large member and, starting in 2014, as Regional Policy Board (RPB) 9 chair. He was an executive committee member and Operations Committee chair in 2015 and 2016, serving also as a member of AHAPAC Steering Committee, Area Wage Index Advisory Review Committee, HRET/Committee on Research, and AHA Board Liaison to the Section for Metropolitan Hospitals. Before joining the Board, he was an RPB 9 member 2000-2004 and 2008-2011 and a member of the Task Force on Payment Reform.

In addition, he is a member of the California HealthCare Foundation Board, a member of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association board, a member of the Orbis Education Advisory Board, and he serves as adjunct faculty for SDSU, University of San Diego (USD), and University of California at San Diego.

He has been an integral part of Sharp's executive leadership team, achieving numerous health care awards and recognitions spanning from Magnet status to Planetree designation, from 100 Most Wired Hospitals to a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recipient as well as recipient of the Leapfrog Group Excellence in Patient Safety and Health Care Quality award.

Gross received his BSN from Wichita State University, his MS in nursing administration from SDSU and his DNSc from USD.

About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.