Hospital State Leaders are 2018 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 2018 Grassroots Champions are:
Alabama – Jeffrey M. Brannon
Chief Executive Officer, Wiregrass Medical Center
Alaska – Robert A. Rang, RN, MHA, MSN
Chief Executive Officer, Wrangell Medical Center
Arkansas – Douglas Weeks, FACHE
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Baptist Health Medical Center – North Little Rock
California – Shelly Schlenker
Vice President of Public Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations, Dignity Health
Colorado – Jason Cleckler
Chief Executive Officer, Delta County Memorial Hospital
Connecticut – Patrick A. Charmel
President and Chief Executive Officer, Griffin Hospital
District of Columbia – George Spinkel
Chief Financial Officer, George Washington University Hospital
Delaware – Jeffrey M. Fried, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer, Beebe Healthcare
Florida – Aurelio Fernandez
President and Chief Executive Officer, Memorial Healthcare System
Georgia – James Matney
President and Chief Executive Officer, Colquitt Regional Medical Center
Hawaii – Laura Westphal
Vice President, Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer, Castle Medical Center
Idaho – Bradley Huerta
Chief Executive Officer, Lost Rivers Medical Center
Illinois – Edgar J. Curtis
President and Chief Executive Officer, Memorial Health System
Indiana – Mike K. Schroyer, RN, MSN, MBA, FACHE, AACC
Regional President, St. Vincent Anderson/Mercy/Randolph
Iowa – Joseph Smith
Chief Executive Officer, Boone County Hospital
Kansas – Ken Johnson
President and Chief Executive Officer, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center
Kentucky – Jerry Penner III
Chief Executive Officer, Murray-Calloway County Hospital
Louisiana – Teri G. Fontenot, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer, Woman’s Hospital
Maryland – Victoria W. Bayless
President and Chief Executive Officer, Anne Arundel Medical Center
Massachusetts – Kate Walsh
President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Medical Center
Michigan – Paul A. King
Executive Director, C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital
Minnesota – Randy Ulseth
Chief Executive Officer, FirstLight Health System
Mississippi – G. Douglas Higginbotham
Chief Executive Officer, South Central Regional Medical Center
Missouri – Christine M. Candio, RN, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Luke’s Hospital
Montana – Bren Lowe
President and Chief Executive Officer, Livingston HealthCare
Nebraska – Manuela Wolf
Chief Executive Officer, Memorial Community Hospital and Health System
Nevada – Anthony D. Slonim, M.D., DrPH
President and Chief Executive Officer, Renown Health
New Hampshire – Robert P. Steigmeyer
President and Chief Executive Officer, Concord Hospital
New Jersey – Kenneth Morris Jr., MHA, MA
Vice President, External Affairs, St. Joseph’s Health
New Mexico – Christina Campos
Administrator, Guadalupe County Hospital
New York – Eva Benedict
President and Chief Executive Officer, Jones Memorial Hospital
North Carolina – Michael Stevenson
President and Chief Executive Officer, Murphy Medical Center
North Dakota – Darrold Bertsch
Chief Executive Officer, Sakakawea Medical Center
Ohio – Bruce D. White
Chief Executive Officer, Knox Community Hospital
Oregon – Kelly C. Morgan
President and Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Medical Center
Pennsylvania – Alan Brechbill
Chief Executive Officer, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Puerto Rico – Karen Z. Artau Feliciano, MHSA
President, Metro Pavia Health System
Rhode Island – Michael Souza
President and Chief Executive Officer, Landmark Medical Center
South Carolina – Robert L. Colones
Executive Director, McLeod Regional Medical Center
South Dakota – Eric C. Hilmoe
Vice President, Operations, Sanford Health Network
Tennessee – Tish Towns
Senior Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer, Regional One Health
Texas – Jeffrey Canose, M.D., MHA
President and Chief Executive Officer, Texas Health Resources
Utah – Gordon Crabtree, CPA, MBA
Interim CEO, University of Utah Health – Hospitals and Clinics
Virginia – John L. Fitzgerald
Senior Vice President, External Relations, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
Vermont – Paul R. Bengston
Chief Executive Officer, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital
Washington – Theresa Sullivan
Chief Financial Officer, Samaritan Healthcare
Wisconsin – Daniel DeGroot
Chief Operating Officer, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital
West Virginia – Albert L. Wright, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer, West Virginia University Health System
Wyoming – Douglas A. McMillan
Chief Executive Officer, Cody Regional Health