Physician leader to retire from AHA in October

John Combes, M.D., AHA’s chief medical officer and senior vice president and president of its Center for Healthcare Governance, will retire in October after almost 12 years leading the association’s governance and physician leadership efforts. Combes also has spearheaded the association’s Physician Leadership Forum; supported the AHA Board of Trustees’ Committee on Research; serves on several national advisory groups on medical ethics, palliative care and reduction of medication errors; and was principal investigator for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s national program to reduce central-line infections. “John has been a great colleague to all of us at the AHA and in the field as a physician, hospital board member, health care executive and thought-leader,” said Maryjane Wurth, AHA chief strategy and relationship officer and president and CEO of Health Forum. “We appreciate his time with us and his role in helping transform health care.”