A Message from New MHA President & CEO Carmela Coyle
I am pleased and honored to be the new president of MHA and I’m eager to get started. I’ve spent the past several weeks immersed in briefing sessions, on every aspect of MHA from policy issues to the inner workings of our business enterprises. I’ve also been on the road meeting state policy leaders. So far: Health Secretary John Colmers, CareFirst President Chet Burrell, HSCRC Chair Don Young and Executive Director Bob Murray, and MHCC Executive Director Rex Cowdry. Coming up: legislative leaders Mike Miller and Mike Busch. And, I’ve already had the opportunity to visit many MHA members and their hospitals and plan many more visits in the weeks ahead.
I come to MHA after 20 years at the American Hospital Association in Washington, most recently as AHA’s senior vice president for policy. I bring a national perspective on hospital issues and health care innovations as well as experience in public advocacy, financial policy, and strategic leadership. I look forward to using those skills on behalf of MHA.
Today, Maryland hospitals face daunting challenges: critical physician and nursing shortages, overcrowded emergency rooms, growing pressure to hold down spending, demands for expansion to meet consumer needs, and expectations for public transparency and performance improvement. There is no question, hospitals’ ability to innovate and improve their own performance—“working smarter”—is the way to succeed within today’s harsh economic realities, and something MHA is committed to helping hospitals achieve.
The good news is that we already have a terrific association staff; individuals who are seasoned and savvy about the many issues and challenges you face. Together we’ll make a great team; and we’re ready to go.
Perhaps our greatest challenge is to develop a vision for better health and health care in Maryland: with affordable and accessible health care for all, coordinated care delivery, enhanced patient safety, while doing it with less.
The road ahead will be bumpy, with plenty of zigs and zags. But I’m reminded of how my 10-year-old daughter describes the work we do: “My mommy helps hospitals help people.” That says it all.
MHA is ready to work with you, our hospitals, to deliver the best and most compassionate care in the nation. Our patients deserve nothing less, and we will accept nothing less.
I look forward to us working together.
Listen
to Carmela Coyle's inaugural
remarks at the annual membership
meeting on
June 12, 2008.
