Governor O'Malley Announces Appointees for Prince George's Hospital Authority
Independent board will seek new owner for Prince George’s Hospital System
CHEVERLY, MD (June 13, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley, joined today by Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, House Speaker Michael Busch, Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson, and County Council Chair Samuel Dean, along with members of the Prince George’s County Council and General Assembly delegation, announced the state appointees to the seven-member board known as the Prince George’s Hospital Authority. The appointments to the panel, created by legislation signed by the Governor last month, signals the first major step in the process since becoming law. Governor O’Malley also administered an oath that is required to officially swear-in the newly appointed members.
“These appointments represent a major step toward maintaining and improving quality healthcare for the people of Prince George’s County,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “I’m so proud these able members are willing to serve the people of Maryland in this capacity, and I look forward to working with the Board, legislators from the area, and our friends in Prince George’s County to install new and sustainable leadership of the Prince George’s Hospital System.”
Today, Governor O’Malley appointed Andrea Leahy Fuchek, Karen Johnson Shaheed, and Dr. Joseph L. Wright to the Authority. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch announced their joint appointment to the board today as well. Dr. Donald E. Wilson was appointed by the General Assembly Presiding Officers. In addition to these appointments, Governor O’Malley asked County-appointed member Kenneth Glover to serve as Chairman of the Hospital Authority, and Dr. Wilson to serve as Vice Chairman.
The hospital authority is primarily tasked with facilitating a process to find a new owner for the Prince George’s Hospital System, currently operated by Dimensions Healthcare System. The Authority will solicit bids from healthcare companies interested in taking over the system. The bidding process is required to be completed prior to the 2009 Legislative session.
“During our first few weeks in office, Governor O’Malley set the standard when he said we would work with Prince George’s County and the private-sector to develop a world-class medical system to serve the people of Prince George’s County and today’s announcement is a step in that direction,” said Lt. Governor Brown, a Prince George’s County resident and former legislator. “This hospital is about so much more than beds and operating rooms – it’s about the people inside and the progress we make by working together.”
In addition to the three members appointed by the Governor, the General Assembly Presiding Officers, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch, also appointed one member to the board.
“I am pleased that Dean Wilson was willing to commit to helping the State once again,” said Senate President Miller. “He has dedicated his life to health care and education and I am certain his expertise and leadership will be of tremendous value to the Authority. I continue to be hopeful that we will finally come to a resolution for the Hospital that is fiscally responsible and ensures that the citizens of Prince George’s have access to quality health care in our communities.”
“All Marylanders need to feel confident in the health of our statewide trauma system," said Speaker Michael E. Busch. "Prince George's County Hospital Center is a key piece of that system. No one understands the state's medical system better than Don Wilson, from both a physician's and a hospital administrator's perspective.”
Combined with the three appointments already announced by the Prince George’s County Executive and County Council, the Hospital Authority is now fully appointed.
“I am very confident that these individuals will represent the best interests of the county and our citizens and they will work hard to ensure the viability and long term health of our hospital system,” Johnson said. “They will make certain that the hospital is transferred to an entity that will build a world class health system in Prince George’s County.”
“Over the last several years, the County Council, working alongside the County Executive, has worked diligently to provide access to quality healthcare for the citizens of Prince George’s County,” said County Council Chair Samuel Dean. “The assembly of talented and experienced individuals tapped to represent the county on the Hospital Authority, who will soon be working together with the newly-announced state representatives on the Hospital Authority, offers yet another encouraging step forward toward achieving a world-class hospital system.”
In addition to the establishment of the Hospital Authority tasked with finding a new owner for the ailing system, the legislation requires the State and County to reach agreement on long-term public funding for the health care facility, necessary to attract new bidders to the process. Once this agreement is reached, the legislation provides that the State and County invest in the continued operation of the system until a new owner is identified.
The members of the Prince George’s Hospital Authority are:
Kenneth E. Glover, Chair, appointed by Prince George’s County Executive and Council. Appointed as Chair by Governor O’Malley. Kenneth Glover received his Master of Arts in Urban Management and Planning from the University of Maryland and has a long history of leadership and expertise in his professional and public endeavors. Kenneth Glover has served as Senior Vice President of RJR Nabisco, Chief Administrative Officer for Prince George’s County and currently as Senior Vice President of State and Local Banking at PNC Bank. During his career, Mr. Glover has dedicated himself to public service through work with organizations including the Bonnie Johns Children’s Foundation and the National Black Child Development Institute.
Donald E. Wilson, MD, Vice-Chair, appointed by Presiding Officers. Appointed as Vice-Chair by Governor O’Malley. Dr. Wilson served as dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine from September 1991 until September 2006. In addition to serving as dean, Dr. Wilson was appointed as the University of Maryland's first Vice-President for Medical Affairs in 1999. He also served as president of University Physicians, Inc., the medical school’s clinical practice organization, from 1996- 2006. He now directs the School of Medicine’s Program in Minority Health and Health Disparities.
Stanley Brown, appointed by Prince George’s County Executive and Council. Brown is an attorney in Largo, MD with his own practice, specializing in several areas of law including foreclosure fraud, employment and labor relations, civil litigation, business and commercial law, civil rights law, and many other areas of litigation. Brown is a member of Maryland, Prince George’s County, and District of Columbia Bar Associations. He holds a bachelors degree from Howard University in City Planning, a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a law degree from University of Richmond, The T.C. Williams School of Law. Prior to launching his own practice, Brown served as Managing Partner for the law firm McCarthy, Bacon & Costello.
Andrea Leahy Fuchek, appointed by Governor. Fuchek has had the unique experience of working at the federal, state and local levels, as an Assistant United States Attorney, Chief Counsel to the Governor of Maryland, and an Associate County Attorney for Prince George’s County. Before starting her own firm with partner Mark G. Griffin, Fuchek was counsel at a large Baltimore law firm, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, for over five years. Over the years Fuchek has developed a strong regulatory and administrative law practice. The success of her practice is based on problem solving and navigating the complex system of laws and regulations to the client’s advantage without unnecessary confrontation. Fuchek has been named among Maryland’s top 40 Legal Elite in 2005 and 2006, as well as one of The Daily Record’s Top 100 Women in Maryland in 2005 and again in 2007.
Thomas Himler, appointed by Prince George’s County Executive and Council. Tom has over 15 years of experience in State and local government finance, public policy, and executive leadership experience. He has worked for the Maryland General Assembly (Department of Legislative Services), Baltimore City government (Mayor's Office of State Relations), and Prince George's County government in various capacities. Most recently, Tom served as the Director, Office of Management and Budget, for Prince George's County. During his tenure, Prince George's County received three consecutive bond rating upgrades from the national bond rating agencies. In his role as Director, he oversaw the development and implementation of a $2.5 billion operating budget and a $1.9 billion capital improvement program. He also worked on a number of special taxing district and tax increment financing district projects, including the National Harbor project. He holds a Masters of Professional Accountancy degree and a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration degree from West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Karen Johnson Shaheed, appointed by Governor. Shaheed was named vice president and general counsel for Bowie State University in August 2007 after nearly 20 years of experience in law, higher education, and public administration. Prior to coming to Bowie State, Ms. Shaheed served for four years as general counsel and vice president for government relations at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, MD. She also served as Secretary of Higher Education for the State of Maryland, chairing the statewide task force on college readiness for capable and disadvantaged students, pushing to increase need-based financial aid, and negotiating a partnership agreement with the Office for Civil Rights aimed at ending segregation in public higher education in Maryland. Prior to her appointment as secretary of higher education, Ms. Shaheed served as Deputy Chief of Staff under Gov. Parris Glendening. She has also served as Assistant Secretary and Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation. Ms. Shaheed received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and her law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law.
Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH, appointed by Governor. Dr. Wright is Executive Director of the Child Health Advocacy Institute, a newly established center of excellence at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. In that capacity, Dr. Wright provides strategic leadership for the organization’s advocacy mission, public policy positions and community partnership initiatives. Academically, he is a Professor and Vice Chairman in the Department of Pediatrics, as well a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Prevention & Community Health at the George Washington University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. He has been attending faculty in the Division of Emergency Medicine at Children’s since 1993, and is founding director of the Institute for Pediatric Pre-hospital and Emergency Research. In addition to his institutional responsibilities, Dr. Wright provides administrative leadership regionally as the State EMS Medical Director for Pediatrics within the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, and nationally as senior investigator and medical director of the federally-funded Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center.
