It is with great pleasure and humility that I accept the gavel as Chair of the NAPH Executive Committee.
Thank you, Lisa, for your excellent leadership during what was clearly one of the most challenging years for NAPH since Larry Gage and the five founding members meet in Denver nearly thirty years ago.
I thank the Executive Committee, which takes its responsibility seriously.
I believe in the wake of Federal health care reform, that our public hospitals will become even more critical to the health of our nation. Please let me remind you, that now and in the future, we are the ones who care for the least fortunate in our society, we provide vital burn and trauma services, our emergency rooms are the ultimate safety net for so many communities, our clinics are in places where few choose to provide health services, we are critical to the public health infrastructure in both urban and rural areas, we engage in important biomedical and health services research, our health systems are essential to the training of the next generation of health care professionals, and we are economic engines for towns and cities all over America.
It is critical to see that public health and hospital systems not only survive, but also thrive, for the health, the benefit, and the prosperity of all our people.
NAPH must help all its members advance to new levels of quality, access and value. At the same time, NAPH must protect its members in the halls of Congress and in the rule-making process.
Finally, I strongly believe that leaders should have a personal work plan. As your new Chair for 2010 – 2011, my personal work plan is a follows:
- To thank Chris Burch over, and over, and over again for her twenty years of service to NAPH and to try to keep her around for as long as possible;
- To work with our esteemed and beloved President, Larry Gage, in ensuring our new CEO is supported, and is off to an excellent start;
- To work with this exceptional NAPH and Institute staff, in meeting the needs of our membership and in implementing our new strategic plan;
- To work to grow the resources, membership and influence of NAPH and;
- Along with the NAPH Executive Committee, to keep this membership informed and fired-up, because our greatest days, as the public safety net, all lay ahead of us.
There is still so much for us to do.
Thank you for your membership, participation and support.
Kirk A. Calhoun, MD
CEO, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler
Chair, 2010 – 2011 NAPH Executive Committee
UTHSCT Press Release