Leaders in Health Care

Improving the quality of health care and reducing the cost
borne by both businesses and consumers has long been an elusive goal.
Washington state, however, has been a leader in recent years. While we take
technology more or less for granted in the Evergreen State, we have also become
more innovative when it comes to delivering care in an economical manner.

Seattle Business‘
second annual Leaders in Health Care awards are designed to showcase those innovators
in the businesses of health, whether we focus on health care practitioners, the
management of hospitals or other organizations, innovations in research, active
community outreach, company wellness programs or, in the case of our Lifetime
Achievement Award, those who have worked their entire lives to make others’
better.

We convened a panel of judges from across the state to sort
through myriad contenders for these awards. Last year we honored such
luminaries as Dr. Michael Copass, Harborview’s former director of emergency
services, PATH’s director of technology Dr. Michael Free, and former King
County Executive Ron Sims. This year our award winners are no less stellar in
our firmament, and indeed their work and impact should be seen as guiding stars
for the health care industry nationwide.

In poring over the nominees, our judges found much to be
impressed with, and even had to settle on a tie for the Best Health Care
Executive Award (two in the Puget Sound region, plus Tom Fritz at Spokane’s
Inland Northwest Health Services, pictured opposite and profiled on p. 32). We
think their choices speak for themselves.

Here are the 2010 winners, with links to their profiles:

• Outstanding Health Care Executive (Beyond Puget Sound): Tom
  Fritz, Inland Northwest Health Services
• Outstanding Health Care Executive (Puget Sound Region): John
  Long, MultiCare Health System and Craig Hendrickson, Overlake Medical Center
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Aubrey Davis
• Outstanding Achievement and Innovation in Life Sciences:
  Leroy Hood, Institute for Systems Biology
• Employer Achievement in Wellness Programs: United General
  Hospital
• Outstanding Community Outreach: Teresita Batayola,
  International Community Health Services
• Outstanding Health Care Professional: James Bergman, Group
  Health Cooperative

Leaders in Health Care 2010 Judges’ Panel:

• Mary McWilliams: director,
  Puget Sound Health Alliance
• Dr. Paul G. Ramsey: CEO, UW Medicine, dean, School of Medicine
• Dr. Roger Stark:
  health care policy analyst, Washington Policy Center
• Linda Tieman:
  executive director, Washington Center for Nursing
• Greg Vigdor:
  president and CEO, Washington Health Foundation
• Carolyn Watts:
  professor, UW Department of Health Services
• Chris Rivera:
  president, Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association