After a national search, the Maryland Hospital Association found its new president in Davidsonville. She's Carmela Coyle, currently a senior vice president for policy at the American Hospital Association (AHA).
Coyle will become president and chief executive officer of the Maryland association July 1. She will be just the third chief in the association's four-decade history: Founding President Richard J. Davidson had a 22-year tenure before leaving to head the AHA. Calvin Pierson, who has been president for 16 years, announced in October that he would retire in July.
Coyle has lived in Davidsonville for nine years, commuting to the American Hospital Association's office in Washington.
Much of her recent work there dealt with health system reform. "I do believe that change is possible through people working together," she said, adding that while there is no clear national consensus on a plan, "there has been work going on behind the scenes, building coalitions."
She said sometimes opposing interest groups - employers and workers, doctors, hospitals and insurers - are beginning to reach agreement on some key points: emphasis on wellness and prevention; health information technology; incentives for quality performance for doctors and hospitals; and "transparency" in giving information to consumers.
While Coyle has had previous chances to lead state hospital associations, she said, the Maryland position is the first she chose to pursue. She said that was in part because of the state's "legacy of innovation and leadership," such as its hospital payment system that covers care for the uninsured.
Given Maryland's history in health policy, she said, she believed it is a state "where you can create tipping points."
Albert "Skip" Counselman, who is vice chairman of the Maryland Hospital Association's board and chaired the search committee, said the panel screened applications from "30 or 40" qualified candidates. Three finalists spent daylong meetings with the search committee and with the association's senior staff.
Coyle will start work in June, spending a transition month with Pierson.
bill.salganik@baltsun.com