2006 Hansen Award
Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D.
Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D., president of the American Hospital Association (AHA), was selected to receive the 2006 Richard and Barbara Hansen Leadership Award and Distinguished Lectureship. Mr. Davidson is well-known for his leadership on initiatives to improve the quality of health care at the local and national levels, expand health care coverage for uninsured Americans, and enhance diversity in health care management.
During his visit to the UI campus, Mr. Davidson met with students, faculty, elected officials, and local health care leaders to discuss current health care issues.
Biographical Information
In 1991 Mr. Davidson was named president of the AHA, a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 4,800 hospitals, health care systems, networks, and other providers of care, and 37,000 individuals. Prior to joining the AHA, Mr. Davidson served as president of the Maryland Hospital Association for 22 years.
While at the AHA, Mr. Davidson helped establish the Institute for Diversity in Health Management and spearheaded the Hospital Quality Alliance, a public/private partnership that created publicly available information on hospital quality measurement nationally for the use of both consumers and internal hospital quality improvement. In 2004 and 2006, the association established two centers devoted to improving hospital and health system governance and quality and patient safety.
Under his leadership, the Maryland Hospital Association was recognized nationally for its work on trustee involvement in state association affairs, payment reform, the development of clinical quality indicators, and medical and corporate ethics in the hospital setting.
Mr. Davidson has consulted for national foundations, served on editorial boards and earned a wide reputation as a writer and speaker on contemporary health issues, as well as the future of health care financing and delivery in America. He serves on the boards of the Health, Research and Educational Trust and the International Hospital Federation.