Statement of Massachusetts Hospital Association President & CEO Lynn Nicholas On the Passing of Senator Edward M. Kennedy

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the nation lost a great leader today - a loss that strikes those of us in the healthcare sector especially hard.

As a public servant, Edward Kennedy possessed the compassion of a dedicated caregiver, placing the well-being of patients - especially those without health insurance or at great financial risk - above all else. He was also a friend of hospitals and the many men and women who carry out their life-saving work. He understood better than anyone of his generation the necessary choreography between government and healthcare, of ensuring that patients are protected, and that caregivers are supported from their medical education through their service to communities.

Senator Kennedy's instinctual devotion to ensuring that the United States has a strong healthcare system was, I believe, grounded in his love of country. As a patriot he believed that a nation is judged by how it provides for its dispossessed; he believed that a nation blessed with technological superiority and a skilled healthcare workforce should be obligated to provide that exceptional care to all. I know the fundamental mission he advanced is one that all hospitals in his home state of Massachusetts, and indeed, all hospitals across the United States share.

Edward Kennedy was a tremendously warm, friendly, and joyous man whose passing has saddened the many who called him a friend or colleague, and the millions whose lives were enriched by his work in the United States Senate. Personally, throughout my 30 years in healthcare - in New Jersey, Louisiana, and now in Massachusetts - his influence was felt, and his guiding hand in improving the lives of patients and those who care for them was admired and respected.

On behalf of the Massachusetts hospital community, I express our sorrow and deepest sympathy to Senator Kennedy's family, our thanks for his monumental achievements, and our collective promise to continue the national effort to provide affordable, accessible, and high-quality care to all Americans.