The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA) Board of Trustees today named current Executive Director of the Massachusetts Council of Community Hospitals, Steve Walsh, as the organization’s next president and CEO.
“We are extremely fortunate to have someone with Steve’s combined depth of experience and enthusiasm to lead MHA,” said Kate Walsh, chair of the MHA Board of Trustees and President and CEO of Boston Medical Center. “His vision for the future of our Commonwealth’s hospitals, health systems and other affiliated caregivers will undoubtedly be a great asset given that health care at the national level is in flux and the pace of reform continues in Massachusetts.”
Steve Walsh was selected by the MHA Board of Trustees following a six-month search led by Witt/Kieffer, a nationally-recognized executive search firm.
“MHA considered a wide array of exceptionally qualified candidates and Steve’s combination of healthcare knowledge, vision for where healthcare is heading and leadership to achieve that vision clearly stood out,” said Keith A. Hovan, President & CEO of Southcoast Health, who served as chairman of the 10-member search committee. “We look forward to working with Steve as he assumes leadership of the association at this vital time for all hospitals and health systems across the Commonwealth.”
“I am profoundly honored to have been selected by the MHA Board of Trustees,” said Steve Walsh. “Lynn Nicholas’ leadership as president and CEO of MHA has had a significantly positive impact on our hospitals, health systems and most importantly, patients, and I am excited to continue that good work.
“Massachusetts hospitals and health systems are not about brick and mortar facilities, but rather the people inside of those facilities – patients and caregivers. Our state’s hospitals and health systems are critical to both the health and well-being of our residents and to a healthy and thriving economy. At this time of unprecedented change and uncertainty in healthcare, my goal is to ensure our hospitals and health systems remain well positioned to deliver on their mission of providing exceptional care and service to patients.”
Steve Walsh, a member of the American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE), currently serves as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Council of Community Hospitals (MCCH), an organization he has led since 2014. During his tenure as Executive Director of MCCH, Steve Walsh worked with executives from 25 Massachusetts health care institutions representing 35 facilities to promote and drive innovative change in healthcare delivery, policy and regulation. He came to the MCCH after serving six terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as the representative of the 11th Essex District. He was appointed Chairman of the House Committee on Health Care Financing in 2011.
Steve Walsh has spent his career advocating for affordable and accessible healthcare for families and small businesses. As Chairman of the Health Care Financing Committee, he oversaw the drafting and passage of the Commonwealth’s 2012 landmark healthcare payment reform law, Chapter 224. This legislation incentivized utilization of alternative payment methodologies and investment in community health, while encouraging patient empowerment and primary care. He was also a conferee of Chapter 288 of the Acts of 2010, the Commonwealth's small business health care legislation.
Steve Walsh is a native of Lynn, Mass., and is a graduate of Wesleyan University, the New England School of Law, and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is an active member of the Greater Lynn community, and serves on the boards of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, LynnArts, Inc., St. Jean’s Credit Union, and the Agganis Foundation.
The MHA Board of Trustees expressed its deep gratitude to the association’s outgoing president and CEO Lynn Nicholas, FACHE, who is retiring after a decade at the helm.
“Lynn has been among the most influential voices on healthcare policy and strategy in the Commonwealth during her tenure at MHA,” Kate Walsh said. “She has worked collaboratively and tirelessly to protect access to high-quality, affordable care for patients. On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, we thank Lynn for her dedication to the health and wellbeing of our communities.”
About MHA
The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA) was founded in 1936, and its members include some 78 licensed member hospitals, many of which are organized within 28 member health systems, as well as interested individuals and other health care stakeholders. MHA’s mission is to advance the health of individuals and communities by serving as the leading voice for all Massachusetts hospitals, health care systems and other care providers to help them provide high quality, cost-effective and accessible health care. In 2016, after 80 years as the Massachusetts Hospital Association, we changed our name to reflect the new direction on the part of hospitals, health systems and all providers to work toward the wellness of all patients.
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