Illinois Hospital Association transitions leadership
From Illinois Business Journal news services
NAPERVILLE — The Illinois Hospital Association has announced that its president and CEO Maryjane Wurth is joining the American Hospital Association in late January as chief strategy and relationship officer, and president and CEO of Health Forum.
IHA also announced that its board of trustees has appointed A.J. Wilhelmi as IHA’s new president and CEO, effective the first of this month.
“As president and CEO of IHA since 2009, Maryjane has provided exemplary leadership for the hospital community,” said IHA Board of Trustees Chair Dean M. Harrison. “I am personally grateful for the outstanding work and results that Maryjane has delivered for the membership and Illinois health care, including enacting landmark legislation on hospital tax exemption, expanding Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, obtaining new ACA access payments and preserving Medicaid funding. We are glad to have one of our own at AHA, working with (AHA President and CEO) Rick Pollack at the national level, and wish her well in her new role.”
During her tenure at IHA, Wurth established IHA’s first federal office in Washington, D.C., created the Institute for Innovations in Care and Quality, developed the association’s transformation and physician agendas, and most recently, led IHA’s efforts to create a new statewide integrated organization with the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council.
Wilhelmi joined IHA in early 2012 as its chief government relations officer and has been responsible for directing IHA’s state and federal advocacy and policy agendas on behalf of the association’s more than 200 hospital and nearly 50 health system members. Wilhelmi was formerly state senator of the 43rd District (Joliet area) for seven years, serving as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Over the past four years, A.J. has been instrumental in leading IHA’s successful advocacy efforts on behalf of hospitals and health systems on many critical issues,” said Harrison. “A.J. commands the highest respect from the membership, government officials and other stakeholders and IHA staff.”
Harrison also noted that Dan Yunker joined IHA on Jan. 1 as executive vice president, and president and CEO of IHA’s new Midwest Healthcare Institute, which will offer innovative solutions to hospitals and healthcare organizations for quality and performance improvement as well as serve as an incubator for innovation and development. Yunker has been president and CEO of Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council.
The Illinois Hospital Association, with offices in Naperville, Springfield and Washington, D.C., advocates for Illinois’ more than 200 hospitals and nearly 50 health systems as they serve their patients and communities.
