Dr. Mark Peters Named National Grassroots Champion by American Hospital Association

Award Recognizes 52 Individuals for Exceptional Leadership

Dr. Mark Peters, EJGH President, and CEO have been named a Grassroots Champion Award winner by the American Hospital Association. This prestigious, national award recognizes healthcare leaders throughout the United States for their service to their community and for successfully promoting the hospital’s mission. As Louisiana’s only award recipient, Dr. Peters is honored as a strong proponent of patient safety, clinical excellence through evidence-based practice and healthcare reform.

Dr. Peters and the Class of 2010 award winners will be honored at the American Hospital Association’s Annual Membership Meeting on April 27. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems, and other health care organizations, and 38,000 individual members.

AHA Recognizes Grassroots Champions

Washington D.C. – The American Hospital Association (AHA), in partnership with the state hospital associations, today awarded 52 individuals with the American Hospital Association Grassroots Champion Award. As a 2010 Grassroots Champion, these individuals are being recognized for exceptional leadership in generating grassroots and community activity in support of a hospital’s mission.

The American Hospital Association Grassroots Champion Award was created to recognize 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.

“We depend upon strong local voices to help tell the story of hospitals as cornerstones of the communities they serve,” said Rich Umbdenstock, AHA president, and CEO. “This award is a small token of our appreciation for the hard work and dedication of these individuals to improving health and health care in America.”

Winners will be recognized at a special Breakfast of Grassroots Champions at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting on Tuesday, April 27, 2010.

About AHA – The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems, and other health care organizations, and 38,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.

The 2010 Grassroots Champions are:

Alaska – Ryan Smith
Chief Executive Officer, Central Peninsula Hospital
Alabama – Donald Jones
Administrator, Marion Regional Medical Center

Arkansas – James David Cicero
President, Ouachita Medical Center

Arizona – Suzanne Pfister
Vice President, External Affairs, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and Medical Center

California – Susan Hollander
Chief Government Affairs Officer, Providence Health & Services-California

Colorado – Karl Gills
Chief Executive Officer, Yampa Valley Medical Center

Connecticut – Peter J. Karl
President and Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Connecticut Health Network

District of Columbia – Helen C. Turner
Vice President, Quality Improvement & Medical Staff Affairs, Georgetown University Hospital

Delaware – Steven A. Rose, R.N., M.N.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Nanticoke Memorial Hospital

Florida – Mark O’Bryant
President and Chief Executive Officer, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare

Georgia – Timothy Stack
President and Chief Executive Officer, Piedmont Healthcare

Hawaii – Phyllis Dendle
Director, Government Relations, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii

Iowa – Douglas Cropper
Chief Executive Officer, Genesis Health System

Idaho – Victoria Alexander-Lane
Chief Executive Officer, Steele Memorial Medical Center

Illinois – Meghan Clune
Vice President, Government and Community Relations, Advocate Health Care

Indiana – Mark Moore
President and Chief Executive Officer, Bloomington Hospital

Kansas – Dennis George
Chief Executive Officer, Coffey County Hospital

Kentucky – Terry Peeples
Chief Executive Officer, Jennie Stuart Medical Center

Louisiana – Mark Peters, M.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer, East Jefferson General Hospital

Massachusetts – Christine C. Schuster, R.N., MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer, Emerson Hospital

Maryland – Barbara Epke
Vice President, LifeBridge Health

Maine – Darlene Stromstad
President and Chief Executive Officer, Henrietta D. Goodall Hospital

Michigan – Nancy Schlichting
President and Chief Executive Officer, Henry Ford Health System

Minnesota – Rocklon Chapin
Executive Vice President & Sr. Officer, St. Mary’s/Duluth Clinic Health System

Missouri – Myra Evans
Chief Executive Officer, Community Hospital – Fairfax

Mississippi – Douglas Higginbotham
Executive Director, South Central Regional Medical Center

Montana – Nicholas Wolter
Chief Executive Officer, Billings Clinic

North Carolina – Sharon Tanner
President and Chief Executive Officer, Albemarle Health
North Dakota – David Molmen
Chief Executive Officer, Altru Health System

Nebraska – Glenn Fosdick
President and Chief Executive Officer, Nebraska Medical Center

New Hampshire – Henry Lipman
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, LRGHealthcare

New Jersey – Russ Molloy, Esq.
Vice President Government Relations, Meridian Health

New Mexico – J. Alex Valdez
Chief Executive Officer, CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center

Nevada – Jim Miller
President and Chief Executive Officer, Renown Regional Medical Center

New York – Betsy Wright
President and Chief Executive Officer, Woman’s Christian Association Hospital

Ohio – Howard Rohleder
President and Chief Executive Officer, Salem Community Hospital

Oklahoma – Charles Skillings
President and Chief Executive Officer, Unity Health Center

Oregon – Roy Vinyard
President and Chief Executive Officer, Asante Health System

Pennsylvania – Garry Scheib
Chief Operating Officer, University of Pennsylvania Health System

Puerto Rico – Richard Machado
President and Chief Executive Officer, Hospital Hermanos Melendez

Rhode Island – Fred Allardyce
Trustee, Westerly Hospital

South Carolina – S. Wayne Harris
Director, Business Development Affiliated Services, AnMed Health

South Dakota – Maureen Cadwell
Chief Executive Officer, Sanford Mid-Dakota Medical Center

Tennessee – Bernard Mattingly
Chief Executive Officer, Cookeville Regional Medical Center

Texas – Steve Sanders
Chief Executive Officer, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital

Utah – Steven Bateman
Chief Executive Officer, St. Mark’s Hospital

Virginia – James Dunn
Vice President of Advocacy and Community Affairs, Bon Secours Richmond Health System

Vermont – Thomas Huebner
President and Chief Executive Officer, Rutland Regional Medical Center

Washington – John Fletcher
Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Washington/Montana Region Providence Health & Services

Wisconsin – Duane Erwin
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aspirus

West Virginia – Brent Marstellar
President and Chief Executive Officer, Cabell Huntington Hospital

Wyoming – Thomas Nordwick
President and Chief Executive Officer, Memorial Hospital of Converse County