Wayne M. Lerner Oral History Released

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brenda Stenger, bstenger@aha.org, (312) 422-2017

CHICAGO (December 17, 2018) – The Center for Hospital and Healthcare Administration History announces a new publication in the Hospital Administration Oral History series:

• Wayne M. Lerner, DPH, in First Person: An Oral History

Growing up on Chicago’s west side in a racially-changing neighborhood taught Wayne Lerner how to get along with – and value – people of diverse backgrounds. He carried those life lessons through his entire career, which was spent mostly serving in leadership in Chicago hospitals. After being assigned to Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center as an administrative extern as part of pursuing his master’s degree at the University of Michigan, Wayne Lerner was hired there and worked his way into leadership positions over the next 18 years. He then got his first opportunity to serve as CEO, at Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

The health care market in St. Louis was in flux at this time in the early ‘90s. Wayne Lerner was part of the leadership team that put together the BJC Health System but creation of this new entity resulted in merging himself out of a job. His next challenges were back in his hometown where he served as CEO of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and then of Holy Cross Hospital, an urban safety net hospital. As a result of his leadership, Holy Cross Hospital avoided financial crisis and entered into a successful merger with Sinai Health System.

In this comprehensive oral history interview about his career, Wayne Lerner reminisces about each step along his career path. He shares thoughts on governance, leadership style and the challenges of turning around an inner city hospital. He also discusses his career-long involvement in professional societies and membership organizations like the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Hospital Association.

The full text of this new oral history interview is available at no charge on the Center website at http://www.aha.org/chhah. Other recent oral history interviews which can be found on the website include that of Donald Wegmiller, John G. King, Dr. Paul Batalden, Scott Parker, Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr., Sr. Mary Roch Rocklage, Dr. David Lawrence, Percy Allen and Edward A. Eckenhoff.

The Center for Hospital and Healthcare Administration History was established by the American Hospital Association and the American College of Healthcare Executives and is coordinated by the AHA Resource Center in collaboration with the Health Research & Educational Trust. For more information about the Center and its programs, visit the website or contact Brenda Stenger, director, at (312) 422-2017.