The American Hospital Association announced Monday that Henry Ford Health System President and CEO Wright Lassiter III will serve as its chair-elect designate.
Lassiter will assume the role of AHA's chair in 2022, making him the top-elected official of the prominent hospital trade organization. He'll follow Providence St. Joseph Health System CEO Dr. Rod Hochman, who will become chair next year. The AHA's current chair is St. Luke's Health System CEO Dr. Melinda Estes.
"I am honored to serve in this capacity, especially at such a pivotal time in our country," Lassiter said in a statement. "As healthcare leaders guided by a strong mission to steward health and wellness, we have a unique opportunity to advance the role our field has in shaping our nation's future. I am proud to continue working alongside all of our AHA partners to advocate for the communities we serve."
Lassiter has been Detroit-based Henry Ford's CEO since 2016 and its president since 2014. Henry Ford has six hospitals, a 1,900-member medical group, a 533,000-member health plan, an innovation group and more than 250 ambulatory sites. The not-for-profit system receives nearly $100 million in annual research funding and actively participates in medical education and training programs.
Prior to Henry Ford, Lassiter was CEO of Alameda Health System in Oakland, Calif. He also held leadership roles at JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas, and Dallas Methodist Medical Center.
Lassiter is a past member of the AHA Board of Trustees' Executive Committee and has chaired several AHA committees. He is also immediate past chair of the board of trustees for America's Essential Hospitals.
Lassiter is vice chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's board and serves on community boards such as the Downtown Detroit Partnership and the Detroit Children's Fund. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., and his Master's in Healthcare Administration from Indiana University.
