Press Release

Richard (Dick) M. Knapp to Receive AHA Board of Trustees Award

Contact:
AHA Press Room - (202) 797- 4840
After April 29th - Elizabeth Lietz - (202) 626-2284
or Matt Fenwick - (312) 422-2820

Washington D.C.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today awarded Dick Knapp, Ph.D, former executive vice president of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), with its 2009 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.  Knapp will receive the award at a ceremony at the AHA Annual Membership meeting in Washington.    

"Dick has worked tirelessly to advance medical education and other health issues on behalf of all hospitals," said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA.  "This award recognizes the impact his advocacy efforts have made on improving health and health care in America."

The AAMC represents medical schools, teaching hospitals, academic and professional societies and is committed to improving the nation's health through medical education, research and high-quality patient care.  Knapp retired from AAMC in 2008 after 40 years of advocating for medical schools and teaching hospitals on health policy matters affecting medical education and research.  While at AAMC, he worked closely with the AHA in developing a unified voice for hospitals, medical schools and the communities they serve.  Part of these joint efforts included creating the AAMC Medicare and Medicaid Special Action Committee, which brought the AHA and AAMC together in pushing to ensure the financial stability of teaching hospitals to pursue their missions of providing cutting edge patient care, physician, nursing and other health professions education and an environment in which research can flourish. 

Working with Congress, regulatory agencies and sister organizations like the AHA Knapp was able to positively impact the world of academic medicine and hospitals in general.  Knapp served as chair of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding, a coalition that supports of increased funding for the National Institutes of Health, is past chair of the National Association for Biomedical Research, and has held the offices of secretary and treasurer in the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions.  From 1982 to 2005, he served on the board of trustee of the Inova Health System in Fairfax County, Va. and was chair of the board from 1999 to 2003. 

Knapp graduated from Marietta College in Marrieta, Ohio, with a bachelor of arts degree and from the University of Iowa with a Ph.D. in hospital and health administration.  He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

About AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, and 38,000 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.