Dive Brief:
- American Hospital Association CEO Richard Umbdenstock will finish an eight-year term as president and CEO at the end of 2015, the AHA said Friday.
- In a note to members, Umbdenstock said leading the hospital association was the "highlight" of his career. "For the past eight years, it has been my privilege to learn from you and to represent you," Umbdenstock wrote. "Together, we have accomplished a great deal—building a better health system for all."
- The AHA's board has hired executive search firm Korn Ferry to find Umbdenstock's successor, with the goal of finding a replacement by next summer.
Dive Insight:
Umbdenstock is seen as a strong leader who elevated the association to new heights. As numerous media reports have noted, AHA has grown in influence and was a key stakeholder when President Barack Obama was crafting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2009. His tenure was filled with challenges, such as ramped up audits from private Medicare contractors and federal antitrust scrutiny over hospital mergers.