AHA Names New Trustees to the Board

WASHINGTON (August 7, 2025) – The American Hospital Association (AHA) has elected nine new members to its Board of Trustees for three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The Board of Trustees is the highest policymaking body of the AHA and has ultimate authority for the governance and management of its directions and finances.

Incoming members of the AHA Board of Trustees are:

Debra Albert, chief nursing officer and senior vice president for patient care services at NYU Langone Health in New York.

Albert leads nursing and patient care services at NYU Langone Health. Her workforce planning initiatives have significantly reduced vacancy rates and turnover, while boosting staff engagement and retention. In addition, Albert has championed the integration of innovative technologies such as virtual nursing and AI predictive modeling to enhance patient care and staff efficiency.

Prior to joining NYU Langone Health, Albert held various executive roles at UChicago Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic.

Albert was a member of the AHA’s American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s (AONL) Professional Practice Committee from 2011-2023 and a member of AONL’s Future Patient Care Delivery Subcommittee from 2010-2023. Albert is a member of the New York Academy of Medicine’s Board of Trustees.

She has been recognized with numerous awards, including induction into the New York Academy of Medicine in 2024, Women of Professional Excellence by the YMCA, and the Golden Lamp award from Rush University.

Albert received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in nursing from the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Rush University in Chicago, and a Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University.

Rob Allen, president and CEO of Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City, Utah

Allen has been the president and CEO of Intermountain Health since November 2022. He previously served as the chief operating officer for five years.

Allen has helped propel Intermountain to national recognition as a leading model for innovating health and wellness, expanding proactive care, simplifying health care and improving affordability and accessibility to all. He has brought national health systems and leaders together to find innovative solutions to hospital and health system field challenges.

Allen was named among the 2025 Great Leaders in Healthcare by Becker’s Hospital Review and was recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2023 and 2024.

Allen has held CEO roles at hospital systems in Wyoming, New Jersey and Massachusetts. He is also a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Allen is a member of AHA’s Health Systems Committee and served as a member of the AHA Strategic Leadership Group on Health Systems as well as the AHA Medicare DSH Advisory Group.

Allen received a Bachelor of Science in operations management from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, a Master of Business Administration from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Rocky Vista University in Ivins, Utah.

J.P. Gallagher, president and CEO of Endeavor Health in Evanston, Ill.

Gallagher has served as president and CEO of Endeavor Health since 2022, formerly known as NorthShore — Edward-Elmhurst Health.

He has led the transformation of Endeavor Health’s acute and specialty services anchored around five clinical institutes: Cancer Institute, Cardiovascular Institute, Orthopedic Institute, Neurosciences Institute and Primary Care Institute. Throughout his tenure, Endeavor has received national recognition for quality, technology and performance.

Gallagher was the president and CEO of NorthShore University HealthSystem from 2017-2022 and served as its chief operating officer from 2012-2017.

Gallagher serves as a member on AHA’s Health Systems Committee. He also serves on the board of trustees of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, and he is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Gallagher earned a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in Princeton, N.J., and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Leah Glasgo, president of UnityPoint Health in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Glasgo has served as President of UnityPoint Health – Fort Dodge Iowa since January 2019. From 2021 to 2024, she also assumed the role of Interim President for UnityPoint Health – Sioux City Iowa, providing strategic oversight and operational leadership across both markets. In Fort Dodge, Glasgo has prioritized expanding access to key specialty services through strategic partnerships and growth in cardiovascular, orthopedic, oncology, and women’s and children’s care.

Prior to joining UnityPoint Health, Glasgo served as president and CEO of Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City, Iowa, where she led the organization for six years with a focus on clinical excellence, community engagement, and sustainable growth.

Glasgo is actively involved in health care leadership at both the state and national levels. She is a member of the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board 6 and serves on the board of directors for the Iowa Hospital Association. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), reflecting her commitment to professional excellence and continuous improvement in health care delivery.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Des Moines University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Melinda Hancock, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Sentara Health in Hampton Roads, Va.

Hancock became chief financial officer at Sentara Health in January. She joined Sentara in August 2021 as the chief administrative officer and led the implementation of Sentara’s transformation and new strategic plan.

Before joining Sentara, Hancock served as the chief administrative officer and chief financial officer at VCU Health System. Previous roles include partner at Dixon Hughes Goodman focusing on the implementation of payment models and value-based reimbursement, the market chief financial officer for Bon Secours Health System for Virginia; and various roles at Culpeper Regional Hospital, Ernst & Young and Deloitte & Touche.

Hancock served as a member of AHA Regional Policy Board 3 from 2021-2023.

Hancock is the past national chairman of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Also, she is a board member of William & Mary’s Business School Foundation, Phlow Corporation and Sandler Center Foundation.

Hancock earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix.

Michael Slubowski, president and CEO of Trinity Health in Livonia, Mich.

Slubowski serves as president and CEO of Trinity Health, a Catholic health system which includes 93 hospitals in 26 states with over 127,000 employees. Before this role, Slubowski served as Trinity’s president and chief operating officer.

Before leading Trinity Health, Slubowski was the president and CEO of Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System in Colorado. In addition, he held executive leadership positions at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Samaritan Health Services in Phoenix, Providence Hospital in Southfield, Mich. and Mercy Health Services.

Slubowski has been involved in various committee roles at the AHA, currently serving as the chair of AHA’s Committee on Health Care Strategy and Innovation. He served as a member of AHA’s Committee on Health Systems as well as the AHA’s Task Force on a National Provider Network. He serves on the board of Universal Technical Institute, a public company that operates trade and technical college programs for skilled trades and health care careers. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a fellow of the American College of Medical Practice Executives.

Slubowski received his Bachelor’s degree in business administration, his Master’s degree in business administration from Wayne State University in Detroit and Advanced Leadership in Healthcare diploma from the University of Michigan Business School.

Pamela Sutton-Wallace, president of Yale New Haven Health in New Haven, Conn.

Sutton-Wallace has been serving as the president for Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) since February 2024, following her role as chief operating officer that began July 2022. YNHHS boasts a robust workforce of over 31,000 employees, 8,100 medical staff members, 250 ambulatory locations and more than 2,600 beds.

Previously, Sutton-Wallace served as group senior vice president and chief operating officer for the Weill Cornell Division at New York-Presbyterian, CEO for the University of Virginia Medical Center and various leadership roles at Duke University Health System.

In addition, Sutton-Wallace has been actively involved with the AHA, currently serving on the AHA Operations Committee. She has also been a member of AHA’s Strategic Leadership Group on Health Systems, AHA’s Committee on Health Care Strategy and Innovation, and AHA’s Regional Policy Board 3 from 2015-2019.

Sutton-Wallace also serves on the board and executive committee of the Connecticut Hospital Association, Carol Emmott Foundation and the United Way of Greater New Haven, among others.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master of Public Health degree from Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

Erik Wexler, president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health in Renton, Wash.

Wexler serves as president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health, focusing on ensuring access to high-quality, compassionate care through 51 hospitals and 1,000 clinics. Since joining Providence in 2016, Wexler has held several executive leadership positions, including chief operating officer, president of operations and regional chief executive.

Wexler has been involved with the AHA for nearly two decades. He serves on AHA’s Health Systems Committee, and was a member of AHA’s Regional Policy Board 9 from 2022-2024 and a member of AHA’s Regional Policy Board 3 from 2008-2011.

Wexler is a member of the board of directors of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, a board member of R1, and serves on the FBI Healthcare Advisory Council.

Wexler received his Bachelor’s degree in sociology and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Hartford in Hartford, Conn.

Mason Van Houweling, CEO of University Medical Center in Las Vegas.

Van Houweling serves as the CEO of University Medical Center, providing leadership to Nevada’s largest academic medical center and public hospital. During the past decade, UMC CEO Mason Van Houweling has successfully transformed a once-struggling public hospital into the pinnacle of clinical excellence in Nevada.

Under Van Houweling’s leadership, UMC experienced a rapid financial turnaround, producing positive operating income that has been reinvested to build Nevada’s most sophisticated health care system. Van Houweling has led UMC to significantly improve access to life-changing care for community members, including the expansion of the UMC Cardiovascular Center, the introduction of the UMC Orthopedic & Spine Institute and the continued evolution of Nevada’s most advanced robotic surgery program, building on UMC’s tradition as the state’s only Level I Trauma Center, verified Burn Center and Transplant Center.

Van Houweling served three terms as the chair of the Healthcare Advisory Facilities Board for the Southern Nevada Health District. He also served on the Nevada Hospital Association for 12 years in various leadership roles, including as a two-term policy development chair and statewide chair. Van Houweling is a lieutenant colonel (Ret.) who has served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a medical services corps officer for 25 years.

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About the American Hospital Association (AHA)

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.