Richard J. Davidson

Dick Davidson is currently president emeritus of the American Hospital Association as of January 2007. He served as president of the American Hospital Association from July, 1991- December 31, 2007. He came to the AHA after 22 years as president of the Maryland Hospital Association.

Born in Philadelphia, Dick earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in education from West Chester University and Temple University, respectively, both in Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in education from Washington, D.C.'s George Washington University.

He began his health care career as a patient. He was recuperating from a back injury in a Delaware hospital in 1965 when the then-school teacher and principal was recruited by the hospital administrator for the job of director of education for the Maryland-District of Columbia-Delaware Hospital Association.

Dick became the Maryland Hospital Association's first president in 1969. During his years there, he was involved in many local, state and national health policy groups and initiatives. Under his leadership, the organization was recognized nationally for its work on trustee involvement in state association affairs, payment reform, the development of clinical quality indicators, and medical and corporate values and ethics in the hospital setting. He consulted for national foundations, served on editorial boards and earned a wide reputation as a writer and speaker on contemporary health issues, as well as the future of health care financing and delivery in America. He was also a volunteer leader and officer with a Maryland organization devoted to the health care needs of the homeless.

He served on the boards of the Health, Research and Educational Trust and the International Hospital Federation. He is also a founding director of the Institute for Diversity in Healthcare Management.

Dick resides in Maryland with his wife Janet. They are the parents of three sons and have six grandchildren. The American Hospital Association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, is the nonprofit organization that serves as the national advocate for hospitals and the patients and communities they serve. It provides education and information for its members and informs the public about hospitals and health care issues.