Voices, Values, Vision: MHA Brings Together the Commonwealth’s Healthcare Community, Appoints New Board Chair at its 2025 Annual Meeting

Cape Cod Healthcare’s Michael Lauf Elected as the Association’s 84th Chair;
Governor Maura Healey Delivers Special Address
BURLINGTON, MA – January 31, 2025– The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA), the united voice for the commonwealth’s hospitals and health systems, held its 88th Annual Meeting this past Thursday in Boston. The Annual Meeting serves as the association’s flagship event for the commonwealth’s top healthcare leaders, policymakers, and influencers to discuss the biggest challenges facing the provider community.

This year’s event explored the current state of healthcare in Massachusetts from an array of perspectives: providers, insurers, patients, and beyond. Speakers focused on the continuing recovery of local hospitals and health systems, all of which have absorbed a relentless series of pressures dating back to the beginning of the pandemic. They also discussed opportunities for innovation and transformation as the sector emerges from the Steward Health Care crisis.
In her annual special address, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey recognized the state’s world-renowned healthcare ecosystem and echoed the importance of the sector’s success.
“The leaders in this room and the thousands of hardworking healthcare professionals have always been there for us,” said Governor Healey. “You’re the reason that Massachusetts is number one for healthcare. You support the incredible research that unlocks cures, drives our innovation economy, and provides the jobs that our communities depend on. You are in so many ways our North Star, embodying our commitment as a state to excellence, passion, and collaboration.”
As a part of the proceedings, Michael K. Lauf, president and CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare, was elected as the 84th Chair of MHA’s Board of Trustees. He succeeds Kevin Tabb, M.D., president and CEO of Beth Israel Lahey Health. In the coming year, MHA and its board will build upon Massachusetts’ world-renowned legacy for healthcare innovation. Its priorities will include advancing state-of-the-art care outside the hospital, reimagining what an empowered healthcare profession looks like, and closing care disparities in new and creative ways.
“Our patients are at the center of all we do — from large academic medical centers to smaller community hospitals, serving our patient populations with high-quality care is our purpose. Massachusetts thrives on the strength of its diverse healthcare system and the pride its providers take in working together toward one common mission, with that patient-centric approach at the forefront,” said Michael K. Lauf, president and CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare. “That is what our work through MHA is all about. For more than a decade, I have seen our hospitals and health systems accomplish tremendous things together, and I am honored to help lead our collaboration around exceptional patient care in the year to come. There is no challenge too big and no opportunity too bold for Massachusetts healthcare.”
“As one of the longest-serving hospital CEOs in the commonwealth, Mike exemplifies everything our healthcare community stands for: compassion, innovation, and a deep commitment to community,” said MHA President and CEO Steve Walsh. “Mike leads with conviction and a constant urgency to improve care, and that’s what makes him the perfect person to steer our board in the year ahead. We are grateful to have his voice at this pivotal time for patients and healthcare professionals.”
In addition to Lauf’s election as Board Chair, MHA welcomed new board members:
- Abha Agrawal, M.D., FACP, FACHE, president and CEO of Lawrence General Hospital
- Peter D. Banko, president and CEO of Baystate Health
- David Coggins, MS, PT, CEO of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of New England
- Marcela del Carmen, M.D,. MPH, president of Massachusetts General Hospital; president of Massachusetts General Physicians Organization; executive vice president of Mass General Brigham
- John Fernandez, president and CEO of Brown University Health
- Denise R. Jordan, Baystate Health Board of Trustees member
- CarolAnn Williams, president of Mass Eye and Ear; president of Mass General Brigham’s Community Division; senior vice president of operations at Mass General Brigham
In addition, Massachusetts’ dedicated case managers, who are instrumental in coordinating each patient’s unique care needs through every step of their journey, received special recognition at the Annual Meeting. Their advocacy on behalf of patients in an increasingly complex healthcare system helps bridge divides, accelerates care transitions to other settings, and connects people with community resources after their hospital stay.
MHA also presented several awards to healthcare leaders and advocates:
- MHA’s Health and Hospital Hero Award was presented to Dr. Robbie Goldstein, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Mike Levine, assistant secretary for MassHealth, for their leadership in navigating the Steward Health Care crisis and their outstanding commitment to patients, caregivers, and healthcare organizations across the commonwealth.
- MHA’s William L. Lane Hospital Advocate Award was presented to Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh for her leadership of Boston Medical Center as president and CEO from 2010-2023. The William L. Lane Hospital Advocate Award was established in 2004 to embody the spirit of William Lane, who served as a hospital CEO for more than 30 years and was among the most ardent advocates for hospitals in the commonwealth’s history.
- MHA’s Stephen Hegarty Memorial Award was presented to Bobby Coughlin, whose story exemplifies the power of a collaborative healthcare system, from providers to life sciences. Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth, Coughlin is a longtime Boston Children’s Hospital patient. He suffered advanced liver disease due to his condition and was facing the possibility of a liver transplant in 2019. Five years ago, Coughlin’s life changed after he received breakthrough treatment for cystic fibrosis developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The award is named in memory of former MHA President Stephen Hegarty.
- MHA’s Trustee Excellence in Leadership Award was presented to Gloria Clough, R.N., chair of Emerson Hospital’s Board of Directors, for her more than two decades of outstanding service as a local hospital trustee and patient advocate. Clough was a member of the MHA Board from 2021 to 2024.
For more information about this year’s Annual Meeting, visit this link.














