Board Members Listed Alphabetically:
Kenneth H.Z. Isaacs, M.D.
Board Chair
past President, Washington State Medical Association
Dr. Ken Isaacs is the immediate Past President of the Washington State Medical Association,
and currently Chair of the Executive Committee. He has been involved with the evolution
of our health care system with contribution to the Health Care Options Task Force
and Rural Health Committee. He has been intimately involved with efforts of medical
liability reform, as Chairman, as well as currently working to enhance the Medical
Quality Assurance processes.
Dr. Isaacs has undergraduate and graduate training in mathematics and physics at
the University of California and Princeton University. Choosing a medical career
in neuroscience, he has been in private practice in Walla Walla for 25 years after
completion of residency and fellowship work at UCSD. He is a Diplomat of the American
Board of Neurology, as well as having subspecialty board certification with his
work in neuromuscular medicine. He has served on Providence Services hospital boards
for 11 years. He has also been involved in his community as a member of various
boards and task forces.
Nancy Fisher, RN, MD, MPH
Vice Chair
Medical Director, Washington State Health Care Authority
Dr. Nancy Fisher is the Medical Director for the Health Care Authority. In 2003, she brought with her to this position, a broad background in health care being a registered nurse in coronary care; completing residencies in pediatrics, clinical genetics, and preventive medicine. She has board certification in pediatrics and clinical genetics, and received certification from the University of Washington in Health Care Ethics.
At the University of Washington, she is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics and active with the Institute for Public Health Genetics of the School of Public Health and active with the School of Medicine. Dr. Fisher founded the first genetics clinic in a Public Health Department, served on the 5-year planning committee for the National Human Genome Project, served nine years on the Secretary of Health (HHS) Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality, and previously was the Medical Director for Medicaid for the state of Washington.
Because of her work with individuals from Southeast Asia, Dr. Fisher was invited by the Johns Hopkins University Press to edit a book on cultural influences in genetic decision making and health disparities. She is a founding member of the American College of Medical Genetics, member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Physician Executives. Locally she is active in the Washington State Medical Association and she is a member of the King County Metro Board of Directors, the American Heart Association, and 10 State Affiliate Board’s Strategic Planning Committee. This year she was named Physician of the Year by the AHA King County Metro Board.
Nancy Auer, M.D., F.A.C.E.,
Immediate Past Chair
Chief Medical Officer, Swedish Medical Center
Dr. Nancy Auer has worked at Swedish Medical Center for 14 years and currently serves
as Chief Medical Officer. Prior to this, Dr. Auer was VP of Medical Affairs, and
Assistant Director at the Department of Emergency Services. She also frequently
lectures on several medical topics.
Dr. Auer is the past President of the Washington State Medical Association. She
is currently a member of many boards and committees at Swedish Hospital, Seattle-King
County Disaster Team, Boeing Advisory Committee on Leapfrog Initiative, American
Heart Association, King County Health Department, Bellevue Club and Rainier Club.
Dr. Auer is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and has recently
received the Honorary Fellowship of the International Federation for Emergency Medicine
and the John G. Wiegenstein Leadership Award.
WHF Board Members Listed Alphabetically
Andrew Craigie
Secretary-Treasurer
Administrator, Garfield County Public Hospital District
Andrew is administrator of Garfield County Public Hospital District in the "Frontier
Rural" Community of Pomeroy, located in the South East corner of Washington
State. He is a graduate of Washington State University with a degree in Business
Administration. Andrew began his service in Health care in Assisted Living and joined
Garfield County Hospital District in 2000. He and his team have focused on developing
the means and methods of delivering the most gratifying health care experience to
the small rural community they serve. Testing all initiatives against their ability
to contribute to sustainability; the District is focused on improving the patient
experience, operational efficiency and financial performance. In addition to his
work as administrator Andrew is a volunteer EMT, serves on the board of the Association
of Washington Public Hospital Districts and the Critical Access Hospital Network.
He is also very involved in Critical Access Hospital and Quality initiatives.
Vic Dirksen
Administrator, Jefferson Healthcare
Vic Dirksen has been the administrator of Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend
Washington for the past 24 years. In that time he has been instrumental in establishing
many programs that have effectively improved health care delivery in rural Jefferson
County.
Mr. Dirksen is currently the President of the Board of Directors of the Washington
Rural Health Association.
Dave Gitch
Retired (former President & CEO, Harrison Memorial Hospital)
Dave Gitch retired as President and CEO of Harrison Medical Center, Bremerton, WA
in December 2004. Dave is a native of Fredericksburg, Iowa and spent his growing
up years in Grand Raids, Michigan. He is a graduate of Valparaiso University, 1962,
with a B.A. degree and majors in business and government. He received an MBA in
Health Care Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
in 1964. His previous administrative positions have included CEO-Harborview Medical
Center/University of Washington, Seattle; CEO-St. Paul-Ramsey (now Regions) Medical
Center, St. Paul, Minnesota; and administrative positions at Community Hospital,
Indianapolis. He completed his administrative residency in hospital administration
at Riverside Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. He served on the Clinical Faculty of the
Programs in Health Care Administration at the University of Washington and the University
of Minnesota until his retirement in 2004.
He is Past Chair of the governing Council for Metropolitan Hospitals of the American
Hospital Association (AHA). He has been an AHA delegate and a member of the AHA's
Region 9 Policy Board. Dave has served as Chair of the Boards of the Washington
State Hospital Association and of the Minnesota Hospital Association. In addition,
Mr. Gitch served on the Boards of the National Public Hospital Association, the
Twin Cities Council of Community Hospitals and the Twin Cities Council of Teaching
Hospitals. He has served on the Board and as Chair of the Bremerton Symphony Association
and is currently on the Bremerton Symphony Endowment Fund Board. He is a past Board
member of the Admiral Theatre, Bremerton. Currently he is serving on the boards
of Lutheran Community Services Northwest, Olympic Peninsula Kidney Dialysis Center,
Great Peninsula Conservancy (Land Trust), Washington Health Foundation and Kitsap
Bank. In 2004, he chaired the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Citizens Committee on the consolidation
of the Bremerton and the Kitsap County Housing Authorities.
Since December, 2005, he is serving as the Interim Executive Director of the Bremerton
Housing Authority during a transition period. He is the recipient of the Spurgeon
Award for exceptional career achievement and community service presented by the
Indianhead Council, boy Scouts of America and the City of St. Paul, Minnesota and
the Thunderbird Award presented by the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce.
Leo Greenawalt
President & CEO, Washington State Hospital Association
Leo Greenawalt has been president of the Washington State Hospital Association for
the past 20 years. Previously, he was vice president in the government affairs division
of the Michigan Hospital Association and vice president of the Association of University
Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA). Mr. Greenawalt began his career as a
hospital CEO in Oklahoma, and at two different times, served in public policy positions
in Washington, D.C.
For the American Hospital Association (AHA), Mr. Greenawalt served in an at-large
position on the Board of Trustees, and as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee,
Health Care 94 Steering Committee, Committee on Allied Hospital Associations, and
Task Force on National HealthCare Reform. He has also chaired the State Hospital
Association Executives Forum (SHAEF). Mr. Greenawalt is a Fellow of the American
College of Healthcare Executives, from which he received the Gold Medal Award in
1999. He has also been active in the Healthcare Forum.
Susanne Hartung, S.P.
Regional Director, Providence Health & Services
Susanne Hartung, S.P. recently served as Vice President for Mission, Ethics and
Community Relations for Swedish Health Services following the sell of Providence
Medical Center to Swedish. She currently serves as Regional Director of Mission
and Ethics of the Washington/Montana Region of Providence Health & Services
Susanne is passionate about access issues, particularity for the poor and vulnerable
and has worked to this end by building partnerships with a wide range of community
groups. She also has played a lead role in Providence's sweeping campaign to reduce
domestic violence in the community. Her current work includes a new initiative for
Providence: Ministry Leadership Formation for the Executive Team as well as the
integration of the newly formed Providence Health & Services.
Prior to entering health care, Sister Susanne spent many years in the education
ministry as a teacher, counselor and administrator. She holds a bachelor's degree
in social sciences and a master's degree in psychology. She has also done master's
work in history, advanced studies in theology and doctoral studies in business,
and social and medical ethics at the University of Louvain, Belgium.
Benita Horn
Principal, Achievement Architects North
Benita Horn is the principal of Achievement Architects North, Building Human Performance,
which she founded in 1990. Prior to 1990 she was employed by US West, where she
started in 1964 in Operator Services. By 1970, Ms. Horn was part of the company's
management team, and over the next 20 years she served in a number of positions
of increasing responsibility.
Ms. Horn is currently a member of American Society for Training and Development
and sits on the Board of Directors Personnel Committee for YMCA of Greater Seattle.
In addition, Ms. Horn is a Community Advisor for Junior League of Seattle, Inc.
as well as a Teen Advisor and the Financial Secretary for the Seattle chapter of
Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Judy Huntington
Executive Director, Washington State Nurses Association
Judith (Judy) A. Huntington, MN, RN, is the Executive Director of the Washington
State Nurses Association, a position she assumed in January 1999 after nearly 10
years on the executive staff of the American Nurses Association (ANA). She is a
graduate of the University of Washington where she received both her BSN and MN.
She is also the Executive Director of the Washington State Nurses Foundation and
Vice-President of the Washington Center for Nursing.
A veteran of association work as both an elected leader and staff, Judy served in
a variety of leadership roles at the local, state and national levels of WSNA and
ANA, including President of WSNA from 1979-1983, Interim Executive Director in1983-1984
and as ANA Second Vice President from 1985-1989.
In December of 1998, Judy was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from
Kent State University for her work in health policy and advancing distance learning
through electronic communications and development of the Online Journal of Issues
in Nursing, an award-winning peer-reviewed nursing journal jointly sponsored by
Kent State and the ANA.
Judy has been involved in numerous community and advocacy activities ranging from
environmental health, health care reform, support for public health, breast cancer
awareness, children's health, immunization, and disaster response and preparedness
planning.
Robert Jeffrey
Publisher/CEO, ColorsNW Magazine
Robert L. Jeffrey Jr. started his career in media in1991 at The Seattle Times. Jeffrey
was selected as one of the first two Times Fellows, a program that gave him experience
in advertising, corporate marketing, operations, new media, circulation and information
systems. The goal of that program—to train promising individuals in the area
of publishing—gave Jeffrey the drive to create ColorsNW Magazine, a publication
about people of color in the Northwest. Co-founded with his wife, Minty Jeffrey,
Jeffrey launched the magazine at age 31 to illuminate issues relevant to Northwest
communities of color through high-quality, enlightening and thought-provoking content.
Jeffrey graduated from Hampton University with a bachelor's degree in business with
a marketing emphasis. He has completed management training at the Robert C. Maynard
Institute for Journalism Education, Kellogg School of Business and Northwestern
University in Chicago and served in an operations internship at The Washington Post.
Jeffrey is a member of The Breakfast Group and a board member at United Way of King
County and Seattle Goodwill. He has served as Basileus of the Zeta Upsilon Chapter
of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., for three years. Jeffrey is a member of the
National Association of Black Journalists.
Photo Credit: Amrita Huja / ColorsNW Magazine
John Long
President, Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital
John Long has spent his entire career as a health care executive in the Northwest.
He came to Tacoma in 1986 as the President & CEO of St. Joseph Medical Center.
In 1995 he joined the executive staff of Group Health as the Chief Operating Officer,
based in Seattle. After 8 years of commuting daily from Gig Harbor to downtown Seattle,
he decided to retire, which didn't last nearly as long as he anticipated. In January
2004, he returned to health care to join MultiCare Health System's leadership team
as the Strategic Executive. As a result of an affiliation between MultiCare and
Good Samaritan Community Healthcare, in October 2006 John became the first affiliation
president of Good Samaritan, based in Puyallup.
John and his wife Sara, who also works for MultiCare Health System as the Executive
for Philanthropy, are 20-year residents of Gig Harbor. No long commutes from Gig
Harbor to Puyallup for John - he and Sara have taken a second residence in Puyallup!
Laura Rehrmann, FAHP
President and CEO, Group Health Community Foundation
Vice President, Community Responsibility, Group Health Cooperative
Laura Rehrmann is President and CEO of the Group Health Community Foundation and
Vice President for Community Responsibility for Group Health Cooperative. Rehrmann
has been with Group Health since 1997, when she joined as Vice President of Development
of the Foundation, Group Health’s philanthropic arm. In 1999, she completed the
leadership phase of the Foundation’s first endowment campaign, which raised $8.7
million. She became CEO and president in 2000.
The Foundation awards grants to organizations throughout Washington serving children
and teen’s health needs. It administers teen health centers in 6 Seattle Public
Schools and has a team of health educators who travel the state working with teachers
on nutrition and physical activity curriculum for middle school students. The Foundation
also supports health delivery and research at Group Health and has a nationally
recognized Evaluation Team which is working in 8 states to evaluate health projects
and improve outcomes.
Rehrmann has worked for Meany Hall for the Performing Arts at the University of
Washington; Catholic Community Services of King County, and most recently was Executive
Director of the Seattle Central Community College Foundation. She serves on several
boards including the King and Kitsap Counties American Red Cross, Leadership Tomorrow,
and the Seattle 4 Rotary Club. A former president of the Northwest Development Officers’
Association, she is currently incoming Chair of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy
in Washington DC. She earned her M.A. in Not-for-Profit Executive Leadership from
Seattle University, is a Fellow of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy and
a Certified Fund Raising Executive.
Mel Tonasket
Retired (former Member, Colville Tribal Council)
Mel Tonasket was born on the Colville Indian Reservation. He served in the United
States Navy, United States Naval Security Group. He worked for six years with the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Colville Indian Agency, Colville Indian Reservation. He
was a public affairs specialist for the Portland Area Office of the Indian Health
Service, director of Indian Policy and Support Services for the Washington Department
of Social and Health Services, and service unit director for the Colville Indian
Health Center. He also owned and operated the Omache Health Spa in Omak.
He recently retired as a member of the Colville Confederated Tribal Council (he
had been a member for 20 years) and was formerly chairman of the School Board for
Paschal Sherman Indian School in Omak. He was elected president of the National
Congress of American Indians for two terms and first vice president for one term.
He was a member of the congressional American Indian Policy Review Commission for
two years and has represented United States tribal governments at the World Council
of Indigenous Peoples and at the Inter-American Indigenous Conference in Brazil.
Mr. Tonasket has been married 44 years to Nancy Tonasket and has 3 sons and 4 grandchildren.
Mary Selecky
Secretary, WA State Department of Health
Mary C. Selecky has been Secretary of the Washington State Department of Health
since March 1999. In February 2005 she was reappointed to the position by Governor
Christine Gregoire. Prior to working for the state, Mary served for 20 years as
administrator of the Northeast Tri-County Health District in Colville, Washington.
Throughout her career, Mary has been a leader in developing local, state and national
public health policies that recognize the unique health care challenges facing both
urban and rural communities. As Secretary of Health, Mary has made tobacco prevention
and control, nutrition and physical activity and emergency preparedness her top
priorities. Mary is known for bringing people and organizations together to improve
the public health system and the health of people in Washington State.
Mary has served on numerous boards and commissions; she is immediate past president
of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, receiving the 2004
McCormack Award for excellence in public health, and is a past president of the
Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials. A graduate of the
University of Pennsylvania, she's been a Washington State resident for 32 years.
Trustee Ex-Officio
*Board as of January 1, 2009