Mark A. Keroack, M.D., president & CEO of Baystate Health, is the 78th Chair of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association Board of Trustees. He succeeds Kate Walsh, president & CEO of Boston Medical Center.
In his inaugural address, Keroack (pictured below with Walsh) discussed his deep interest in the major policy proposals and other efforts now underway to advance healthcare both statewide and nationally. He also acknowledged that many of these important endeavors are currently overshadowed by disruptive challenges buffeting hospitals, health systems and other care providers.
“We must reconnect with our core purpose, to remind both our team members and our communities of who we are and what we have always been,” Keroack said. “We need to remind ourselves of our history of being there for our communities for generations, reliably serving all those who need our help, innovating, and caring for the person and not just the disease. And as we step up, as we find our voice, I believe we will learn something about ourselves and what we share in common.”
Both Keroack and MHA President & CEO Steve Walsh noted the enormous threat to the healthcare system posed by a possible ballot initiative to require rigid, one-size-fits-all nurse staffing ratios.
“Treating every nurse and patient as a number in a ratio will hurt the communities we serve and be disastrous for care quality and access,” said Steve Walsh. “The proposed law does not consider the other clinical staff members that are critical components of a patient care team, or the flexibility medical professionals need to make split-second decisions. It would increase emergency department wait times, and force hospitals to cut programs, services, and beds. Some of our most vulnerable community hospitals would have no choice but to eliminate units, or close entirely. It’s a terrible idea that would decimate the Massachusetts healthcare ecosystem.”
At Thursday’s annual meeting, MHA's board leadership team was announced for 2018-2019. The officers are:
Chair: Mark A. Keroack, M.D., MPH, president & CEO, Baystate Health
Chair-elect: Bruce S. Auerbach, M.D., FACEP, president & CEO, Sturdy Memorial Hospital
Treasurer: Joseph A. “Jody” White, MBA, FACHE, president & CEO, Lowell General Hospital and Circle Health
Secretary: Eric W. Dickson, M.D., MHCM, FACEP, president & CEO, UMass Memorial Health Care
Immediate Past Chair: Kate E. Walsh, MPH, president & CEO, Boston Medical Center
Past Chair Most Recently Retired: Keith A. Hovan, president & CEO, Southcoast Health
President (ex officio): Steve Walsh, president & CEO, MHA
MHA board members are:
Maureen Banks, FACHE, MBA, MS, R.N., COO, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network and president, Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Medical Care Cambridge & Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod; Kevin B. Churchwell, M.D., E.V.P., Health Affairs & COO, Boston Children’s Hospital; Philip M. Cormier, CEO, Beverly Hospital and Northeast Health System; Ruth Ellen Fitch, Esq., trustee, Boston Medical Center; Andrew S. Freed, corporator, Strategic Planning Committee member, MelroseWakefield Healthcare and CEO, Virtual, Inc.; Joanne Fucile, R.N., MSN, CRRN, president, Organization of Nurse Leaders and VP, Operations & Director, Nursing, Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Medical Care Cambridge; Gene E. Green, M.D., MBA, president & CEO, South Shore Health System; Michael L. Gustafson, M.D., MBA; president, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital; Peter J. Healy, MHA, president, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Kim Hollon, FACHE, president & CEO, Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital; Edward J. Kelly, president & CEO, Milford Regional Medical Center; Michael K. Lauf, MBA, president & CEO, Cape Cod Healthcare and Cape Cod Hospital; Joanne Marqusee, president & CEO, Cooley Dickinson Health; David E. Phelps, MBA, president & CEO, Berkshire Health Systems; Christine C. Schuster, R.N., MBA, president & CEO, Emerson Hospital; Michael J. Sheehy, M.D., chief of population health & analytics, Reliant Medical Group; Kevin Tabb, M.D., CEO, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; David F. Torchiana, M.D., president & CEO, Partners HealthCare System; Michael Wagner, M.D., FACP; chief physician executive, Wellforce; Deborah K. Weymouth, MBA, FACHE, president & CEO, UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital; Michael J. Widmer, retired past president, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation; Louis J. Woolf, president & CEO, Hebrew SeniorLife.