News Release        For Immediate Release:  March 20, 2008 Contact:   Nancy Fiedler, 410-379-6200, ext.3333, nfiedler@mhaonline.org     MHA Names New President & CEO   American Hospital Association executive Carmela Coyle will become the next president and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) on July 1.  Coyle will succeed Cal Pierson who in November announced his retirement after leading the MHA for 16 years.
	Coyle’s selection was announced today by Albert (Skip) Counselman, MHA’s first vice chair who chaired the Presidential Search Committee.  The association’s Executive Committee and full membership of the MHA endorsed the Search Committee’s decision.    In announcing the selection Counselman said, “We are excited to have a national leader in health care policy to lead the Maryland Hospital Association team.  Carmela Coyle's two predecessors, Dick Davidson and Cal Pierson , have set very high standards for ethical and proactive representation of Maryland's hospitals and the citizens we serve.  The MHA is respected for its quality and safety initiatives, which are our paramount concern.  We are confident that Carmela will lead us to new levels of achievement."    Coyle will become only the third president of the MHA.  She will join the MHA on June 3 to assure a smooth transition when she becomes president in July.  At present, she is the senior vice president for policy of the American Hospital Association.  In that capacity she participates as a member of the AHA executive management team, which sets the strategic policy direction and operations of the 5,000 member national hospital association, leads AHA’s efforts with the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), and serves as a national media and public spokesperson for the association.  She also has lead responsibility for the association’s regional policy-making boards.  Recently she has led the association-wide effort in developing the long-term reforms to improve health and health care delivery in the U.S.   “Carmela brings a wealth of experience to this new role.  She is an effective advocate for hospitals and the patients they serve,” said Richard J. Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association.  “She will make a terrific leader for the hospitals of Maryland .”   She has been a member of the AHA policy team for 20 years, holding a number of key policy positions.  Before that, she was budget analyst in the Congressional Budget Office’s Human Resources Cost Estimate Unit.   Coyle is a resident of Davidsonville.  She attended the University of Michigan ’s Pew Health Policy Program, where she completed course work and exams toward a doctorate in public health.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and in Spanish literature from Carleton College in Minnesota .    # # #       MHA is the advocate for Maryland hospitals, health systems, and their patients before legislative and regulatory bodies. Its membership is comprised of community and teaching hospitals, health systems, specialty hospitals, veterans hospitals, and long-term care facilities.