Richard Umbdenstock - ACHE Gold Medal winner

Richard Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, is one of two winners of the American College of Healthcare Executives' Gold Medal Award, the organization's highest honor. Umbdenstock, 64, who has led the trade group since 2007, announced last year that he will retire at the end of 2015.

On Oct. 19, 2014, Umbdenstock, left, appeared on CBS's “Face the Nation” along with Dr. Robert Wah, center, president of the American Medical Association, and other panelists discussing the Ebola crisis and the nation's preparedness for outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Umbdenstock has been a frequent flier to hearings before congressional committees over the years. Here, he testifies in July 2014 before the House Veterans Affairs Committee on operational best practices from the private healthcare sector and their applicability to problems at the Veterans Affairs Department.

In June 2014, Umbdenstock was feted in Washington, D.C., by the service organization B'nai B'rith International, which presented him with its National Healthcare Award. “Solid leadership and dedication to the community are the hallmarks of Rich Umbdenstock's outstanding career, and we are pleased to honor him with the National Healthcare Award. As the leader of an organization with a mission 'to advance the health of individuals and communities,' Rich understands the vital link between healthy individuals and thriving communities,” B'nai B'rith International President Allan J. Jacobs said in a statement announcing the award.