The 2013 American College of Healthcare Executives awards take on special significance this year.
One of this year's ACHE Gold Medal Award winners—the highest honor the organization bestows—goes to Thomas Dolan, its longtime president and CEO. The profile that follows shows why his leadership of the organization during the past 22 years makes him justly deserving of this prestigious award.
The other Gold Medal winner is Wayne Lerner, an accomplished healthcare executive for nearly 40 years. His ability to navigate the difficulties facing inner-city hospitals also makes him a deserving honoree.
Finally, Christina Freese-Decker is the winner of this year's Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award for Young Healthcare Executive of the Year, which honors an up-and-coming leader under age 40. Her ability to engineer solutions to the problems faced by a small hospital in Michigan highlights the remarkable talent being nurtured in the trenches of the U.S. hospital industry.
The winners will be feted at special events during the ACHE's annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership set for March 11-14 in Chicago.