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Wright L. Lassiter III Named AHA Chair-Elect Designate

Analysis  |  By Melanie Blackman  
   July 22, 2020

The Henry Ford Health System CEO will serve as the 2022 chair of the American Hospital Association.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has announced Henry Ford Health System President and CEO Wright L. Lassiter III as the 2022 chair.

On Monday, the announcement was made in a press release, as well as a video announcement from the current AHA chair Saint Luke's Health System President and CEO Melinda L. Estes, MD.

Lassiter currently serves on a number of committees, including serving as the vice chair of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and as board member for the Motown Museum, the Downtown Detroit Partnership, the Detroit Children's Fund, and the Detroit Regional Chamber.

Lassiter is a past member of several AHA committees, including the Board of Trustees Executive Committee. He also served as America's Essential Hospitals' chair of the board of trustees.

"I am honored to serve in this capacity, especially at such a pivotal time in our country," Lassiter said. "As health care leaders guided by a strong mission to steward health and wellness, we have a unique opportunity to advance the role our field has in shaping our nation's future. I am proud to continue working alongside all of our AHA partners to advocate for the communities we serve."

Lassiter has served as Henry Ford Health System's CEO and president since 2016.

Henry Ford Health System includes six hospitals and over 250 ambulatory care sites across southeast Michigan and receives "nearly $100 million in annual research funding." Just last month, the health system announced it signed a letter of intent with Michigan State University to expand its current partnership to collaborate on healthcare disparities.

The AHA 2021 chair-elect is Providence St. Joseph Health President and CEO Rodney F. Hochman, MD.

The AHA also announced eight new Board of Trustees members for a three-year term starting in 2021.

Incoming members include:

  • Advocate Aurora Health Chief Nurse Officer Mary Beth Kingston, PhD, RN, NEA-BC
  • ChristianaCare President and Chief Executive Officer Janice E. Nevin, MD, MPH
  • RML Specialty Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Prister
  • The Hospitals of Providence Group CEO Nicholas R. Tejeda
  • Ochsner Health President and Chief Executive Officer Warner L. Thomas
  • UMass Memorial Health Care President of Community Hospitals and Chief Administrative Officer Douglas S. Brown
  • St. Mary's Health Care System President and Chief Executive Officer D. Montez Carter, PharmD, MBA, FACHE
  • Knox Community Hospital Chief Executive Officer Bruce White

Related: Steering Motor City Healthcare: A Q&A With Henry Ford Health System CEO Wright Lassiter III

Related: Henry Ford Health System's New CSO: How Healthcare Can Address Health Disparities and Inequities

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This story was updated on July 22, 2020,  with the names of the newly elected members to AHA’s Board of Trustees.

Melanie Blackman is a contributing editor for strategy, marketing, and human resources at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.

Photo credit: Henry Ford Hospital. Photo Courtesy of Henry Ford Health System

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