The ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ Association Grassroots Champion Award Ìýrecognizes those hospital leaders who most effectively educate elected officials on how major issues affect the hospital’s vital role in the community, who have done an exemplary job in broadening the base of community support for the hospital and who are tireless advocates for hospitals and their patients.

Ìý

The 2016 Grassroots Champions are:

Ìý

Alabama – A. Elizabeth Anderson

Administrator, USA Medical Center

Ìý

Alaska – Julie Taylor

Chief Executive Officer, Alaska Regional Hospital

Ìý

Arizona – Julia Strange

Vice President of Community Benefit, TMC HealthCare

Ìý

Arkansas – Corbet Lamkin

Chairman, Ouachita County Medical Center

Ìý

California – Christopher Manson

Regional Director, Northern California, Advocacy, Government Relations & Public Policy,

St. Joseph Health

Ìý

Colorado – Konnie Martin

Chief Executive Officer, San Luis Valley Health

Ìý

Connecticut – Stuart Rosenberg

President, Johnson Memorial Medical Center

Ìý

District of Columbia – Amy Freeman

Chief Executive Officer, Ascension Community Health

Ìý

Delaware – Tom Brown

Senior Vice President, Nanitcoke Memorial Hospital

Ìý

Florida – Steven Johnson

President & CEO, Health First

Ìý

Georgia – John Haupert

Chief Executive Officer, Grady Health System

Ìý

Hawaii – Phyllis Dendle

Director of Government Relations, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center

Ìý

Idaho – Rachel Gonzales

Chief Executive Officer, Madison Memorial Hospital

Ìý

Illinois – Kenneth Boyd

President & CEO, McDonough District Hospital

Ìý

Indiana – Brian Bauer

Chief Executive Officer, Lutheran Hospital of Indiana and Lutheran Health Network

Ìý

Iowa – Karen Cole

President & CEO, Shenandoah Medical Center

Ìý

Kansas – Carrie Saia

Chief Executive Officer, Holton Community Hospital

Ìý

Kentucky – Lori Jarboe

Chief Executive Officer, HealthSouth Lakeview Rehabilitation Hospital

Ìý

Louisiana – Phyllis Peoples

President & CEO, Terrebonne General Medical Center

Ìý

Maryland – Steven Sharfstein, M.D.

President & CEO, Sheppard Pratt Health System

Ìý

Massachusetts – Peter Holden

President & CEO, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital

Ìý

Michigan – James Falahee, Jr. Ìý

Senior Vice President of Legal & Legislative Affair, Bronson Healthcare Group

Ìý

Minnesota – Steven Mulder, M.D.

President & CEO, Hutchinson Health

Ìý

Mississippi – Daryl Weaver

Interim Chief Executive Officer, Baptist Medical Center Leake

Ìý

Missouri – Paula Baker

President & CEO, Freeman Health System

Ìý

Montana – Jason Spring

Chief Executive Officer, North Valley Hospital

Ìý

Nebraska – Daniel McElligott

President, CHI Health St. Frances

Ìý

Nevada – Brian Brannman

Senior Vice President of Operations, Nevada, President & CEO Siena Campus, Dignity Health St. Rose Dominican

Ìý

New Hampshire – Chris Accashian

Chief Executive Officer, Parkland Medical Center

Ìý

New Jersey – Lisa Morina

Vice President, Marketing & External Relations, Kennedy Health

Ìý

New Mexico – Feliciano Jiron

Chief Executive Officer, Los Alamos Medical Center

Ìý

New York – Joseph McDonald

President & CEO, Catholic Health System

Ìý

North Carolina – Douglas Luckett

President & CEO, CaroMont Health

Ìý

North Dakota – Matt Grimshaw

President, CHI St. Alexius Health Williston

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý

Ohio – Chip Hubbs

President & CEO, Memorial Health

Ìý

Oklahoma – James Moore

President, Integris Southwest Medical Center

Ìý

Oregon – Carol Bradley

Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer, Legacy Health

Ìý

Pennsylvania – David Scott

President & CEO, Ohio Valley Hospital

Ìý

Puerto Rico – Joaquin Rodriguez

Chairman & CEO, Grupo HIMA San Pablo Inc.

Ìý

Rhode Island – Lester Schindel

Chief Executive Officer, CharterCare Health Partners

Ìý

South Dakota – Timothy Tracy

Chief Executive Officer, Sanford Vermillion Medical Center

Ìý

Tennessee – H. Alan Watson

Chief Executive Officer, Maury Regional Health System

Ìý

Texas – Glenn Robinson

President, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Hillcrest

Ìý

Utah – Mark Dalley

Administrator, Gunnison Valley Hospital

Ìý

Vermont – Jill Berry Bowen

Chief Executive Officer, Northwestern Medical Center

Ìý

Virginia – James Cole

Chief Executive Officer, Virginia Hospital Center

Ìý

Washington – Eric Lewis

Chief Executive Officer, Olympic Medical Center

Ìý

West Virginia – Christopher Colenda, M.D.

President & CEO, West Virginia United Health System

Ìý

Wisconsin – Michael Wallace

President & CEO, Fort HealthCare

Ìý

Wyoming – Gerard Klein

Chief Executive Officer, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County

Ìý

Related News Articles

Headline
The deadline for health delivery organizations to apply for the AHA’s 2026 Foster G. McGaw Prize is 1 p.m. ET May 6. The award honors organizations that…
Headline
A study published March 31 by the National Institutes of Health found that adults living in rural areas have worse cardiovascular health than those in urban…
Headline
Cigarette smoking by adults has dropped to its lowest level in 60 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today. Despite that, tobacco…
Headline
In this conversation, Mindy Estes, M.D., former CEO of Saint Luke's Health System and former AHA board chair, and Roxanna Gapstur, R.N., CEO of WellSpan Health…
Headline
A case study by the AHA's Community Health Improvement network explains how Children’s Mercy Kansas City created a new model to coordinate its community…
Chairperson's File
Trust — in one another, in our field, and in our communities — is so important to what we do. Everyone should know that our hospitals and health systems are a…