CHICAGO, IL, July 14, 2026 – The National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) is honored to announce that M. Michelle Hood, FACHE, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the American Hospital Association (AHA), has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award. For more than two decades, this prestigious award has celebrated exceptional leaders who advance health and well-being through courageous leadership, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to organizational excellence.
“Michelle has dedicated her career to strengthening hospitals and health systems so they can better serve their patients and communities,” said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, who was among Hood’s nominators for the award. “Through her leadership, she’s brought people together, helped drive innovation and made a lasting impact on our field. This honor is a fitting recognition of her unwavering commitment to advancing health care for all.”
Hood brings more than four decades of health care leadership experience spanning academic, faith-based, and rural integrated delivery systems. In her current role at the AHA—one she assumed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic—she oversees the association’s membership, business development, and strategic planning, helping hospitals and health systems nationwide navigate disruption and drive transformation. She previously served as president and CEO of Northern Light Health, a $2 billion integrated health care delivery system providing services across the entire state of Maine, and as president and CEO of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, Montana Region.
Throughout her career, Hood has been a pioneer of rural health innovation, launching the Bangor Beacon Community initiative to improve care coordination through shared data and population health management, and growing LifeFlight of Maine into a high-performing statewide critical-care transport system. A member of NCHL’s Board of Directors, she also serves on the National Academy of Medicine’s Leadership Consortium and the International Hospital Federation’s Scientific Advisory Council.
“Michelle leads with impact, strength, and integrity — her career reflects an unwavering commitment to helping health systems serve their communities and improve access,” said Jill Schwieters, NCHL Board Chair. “She understands firsthand what providers need to fulfill their mission, and she brings that insight to the AHA every day on behalf of patients and communities nationwide.”
The Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award honors the founding chair of NCHL, president emeritus of Henry Ford Health System, and one of the nation’s foremost healthcare leaders. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to improving health and health care through bold leadership and dedication to building healthier communities.
“I’m grateful to NCHL for this recognition, and to the many people who have shaped my path along the way,” said Michelle Hood, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the American Hospital Association. “Leadership in health care is a team endeavor, grounded in our shared commitment to patients and communities. Any impact I’ve had reflects the talent, dedication and heart of the colleagues I’ve been privileged to work with throughout my career.”
Hood will be honored at the 2026 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award Celebration, held on the evening of Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at the Old Post Office in Chicago. The celebration will bring together national healthcare executives, educators, and changemakers to recognize her achievements and honor her contributions to the future of healthcare leadership.
NCHL is fortunate to have nationally recognized leaders serving on its Board of Directors, including:
- Jill Schwieters, NCHL Board Chair
- Kaitlyn Apodaca, Sr. Strategy Planning Consultant, Seattle Children’s
- Jeanne Armentrout, Former EVP & CAO, Carilion Clinic
- Denise Brooks-Williams, EVP & COO, Henry Ford Health
- Maxine Carrington, JD, SVP & Chief People Officer, Northwell Health
- Bob Clarke, Chairman, Furst Group and NuBrick Partners
- Richard “Chip” O. Davis, PhD, CEO, Rochester Regional Health
- David Ertel, CFO, Vizient, Inc.
- David Gillan, Chief Customer Officer, Sodexo U.S. Healthcare and Seniors
- Michelle Hood, EVP & COO, American Hospital Association
- Carrie Harris-Muller, SVP & Chief Population Health Officer, OhioHealth
- Paula Just, EVP & Chief Administrative and Experience Officer, Health First
- Jessica Melton, EVP & Chief Transformation Officer, University of Florida Health
- Jeffrey Simms, Assistant Professor and Associate Chair for Alumni and External Relations, Department of Health Policy & Management, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
For more information about this release contact:
- David Schreiner, Ph.D (david@nchl.org), Chief Executive Officer, NCHL; or
- Meghan Nousaine (mnousaine@nchl.org), Senior Director, Communications and Development, NCHL