AHA Board Names Laura Kaiser as Chair-Elect Designate

DENVER (July 12, 2026) – The American Hospital Association (AHA) Board of Trustees has elected Laura Kaiser, president and CEO of SSM Health, based in St. Louis, Mo., as its Chair-elect Designate. Kaiser will be Chair-elect in 2027 and become the 2028 Chair of the AHA, the top elected official of the national organization that represents America’s hospitals and health systems and works to advance health in America.

Kaiser joined SSM Health, which serves millions of patients across Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma, in 2017. SSM Health has over 40,000 employees, 24 hospitals, more than 540 physician offices and outpatient sites, 11 post-acute facilities and comprehensive home care and hospice services. Under Kaiser’s leadership, SSM Health has transformed their digital capabilities through telehealth and patient access tools. In 2023, SSM Health and Siemens Healthineers announced a new 10-year partnership focused on expanding access to high-quality care and training the next generation of healthcare workers. 

“I look forward to the opportunity to serve, continuing to advocate for America's hospitals and health systems to advance solutions that work for everyone. The AHA's vision of a society of healthy communities, where every person has the potential to live a healthy life, is one I have pursued throughout my career,” Kaiser said. “Our patients and communities demand and deserve our very best, and we must move with purposeful urgency to deliver it. That means protecting and strengthening the 24/7 care hospitals provide today, while reimagining how we build and support a healthier, resilient future for our patients and the communities we serve.”

Prior to becoming president and CEO of SSM Health, Kaiser served as executive vice president and chief operating office for Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition, Kaiser served in a number of senior leadership roles at Ascension Health, including as the regional executive for the Gulf Coast/Florida region and as president and CEO at Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Fla. Kaiser has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 most influential people in health care for the last eight years. Kaiser is also a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Kaiser is a member of the AHA Board of Trustees and currently serves as a member of the AHA Executive Committee, Chair of the AHA Operations Committee, and previously served on AHA’s Committee on Health Care Strategy & Innovation.

She currently serves on several boards including Greater St. Louis Inc., Merit Medical, Navitus Health Solutions, and the Seton Shrine National Leaders Council. Kaiser previously served on the Joint Commission Resources Board and as Chair of the Catholic Health Association.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in health sciences from the University of Missouri and master’s degrees in business administration and health administration from Saint Louis University.

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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.