Obituary: Former AHA Chair William Petasnick 

Former AHA Chair and Distinguished Service Award recipient William Petasnick died Nov. 8. He was 76.   
 
Petasnick served as president and CEO of Milwaukee-based Froedtert Health for over 19 years, and before that as administrator of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic in Iowa City, and director of operations for the University of North Carolina Hospitals and Clinics in Chapel Hill, among other roles. He served as chair of the AHA Board of Trustees in 2008 and was instrumental in developing AHA’s positions on delivery system organization and integration through his chairmanship of several AHA task forces. In 2016, Petasnick received the AHA’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, for significant lifetime contributions and service to health care institutions and associations.  
  
“Throughout his career, Bill was always focused on efforts to improve the lives of patients and create healthy communities,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “Bill was a friend, role model and mentor to so many people, including myself, and he made tremendous contributions to the AHA and our field.”   
  
For more information, see his interview for AHA’s Oral History Collection and the AHA’s award video.