Public Hospital Association Names Siegel CEO

The National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems has appointed Bruce Siegel, MD, to the newly created position of CEO. He succeeds Christine Capito Burch, who is retiring after serving 20 years as executive director, NAPH announced Monday.

"This is an unprecedented time for our patients and the public hospitals that serve them each and every day. I am eager to work with these crucial safety net systems to ensure that they have the resources and the support to protect their communities," Siegel said in a statement. "Healthcare reform may have passed but our work is just beginning."

With the appointment, Siegel becomes the first African-American to lead a major hospital association in the United States. He is now director of the Center for Health Care Quality and a professor of health policy at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. Siegel was president/CEO of Tampa General Healthcare, and the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. He also served as commissioner of health for the state of New Jersey.

"Safety net hospitals and health systems must gear up for the implementation of health reform, while also responding to the increased need for safety net services during the current economic crisis," said NAPH President Larry S. Gage. "Bruce's experience leading two of the nation's most important safety net health systems, coupled with the major role he has played at George Washington University in studying the needs and concerns of vulnerable patient populations, provide an ideal background for this position."

Siegel has conducted studies on quality and equity for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, the California Endowment, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. He is a member of the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality and he has served as a director of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

""Bruce Siegel's deep understanding of health disparities will assist members in serving our diverse communities and in positioning public hospitals to be leaders in implementing health reform," said Lisa Harris, MD, who led the search process for NAPH. Founded in 1980, NAPH represents the nation's largest metropolitan safety net hospitals and health systems.

"Siegel earned an A.B. from Princeton University, a Doctor of Medicine from Cornell University Medical College, and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.

Click here to read more about Siegel's appointment.