AHA names new trustee to the board

WASHINGTON (September 7, 2020) – The American Hospital Association (AHA) has elected Phyllis Cowling to fill a vacancy on its Board of Trustees for one year, effective Jan. 1, 2021. The Board of Trustees is the highest policymaking body of the AHA and has ultimate authority for the governance and management of its direction and finances.

“Over the past several years, I have developed great respect and appreciation for the policy development and advocacy work of the AHA,” said Phyllis Cowling, president and CEO of United Regional Health Care System. “As such, I’m honored and excited at the opportunity to serve on the AHA Board of Trustees.” 

Cowling is president and CEO of United Regional Health Care System in Wichita Falls, Texas, which serves nine counties in north central Texas. Prior to joining United Regional Health Care System in 2004, she served as chief financial officer for multiple hospitals and health systems over 18 years, including Baptist St. Anthony’s Health System in Amarillo, Texas.  

Cowling has been an active member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) throughout her career and served in various leadership roles at the organization’s local, regional and national levels, including national chair in 2002-2003. In addition to her ongoing involvement on several boards and committees within Wichita Falls, Phyllis also served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Texas Hospital Association in 2018.

Cowling received a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas. Additionally, she is a certified public accountant in Texas and a Fellow of HFMA.

Cowling is filling an unexpired term. 

###

Contact:        Marie Johnson, 202-626-2351, mjohnson@aha.org
                      Colin Milligan, 202-638-5491, cmilligan@aha.org       

About the American Hospital Association
The American Hospital Association (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 advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and 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.