Nancy Howell Agee, president and CEO of Roanoke, Va.-based Carilion Clinic, was formally invested as the chair of the American Hospital Association May 6, a spokesperson confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review.
Here are six things to know.
1. While Ms. Agee became chair Jan. 1, her official investiture ceremony to celebrate her tenure was May 6 at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting.
2. Ms. Agee will lead the AHA, which represents about 5,000 hospitals and health systems as well as 43,000 members throughout the U.S.
3. In her role, she will work to advance the AHA's vision and position through Congress and will be an agent for change in the healthcare space.
4. During her investiture address, Ms. Agee spoke about AHA's Value Initiative, which provides thought leadership on the issue of affordability, and touched on the association's commitment to drive excellence and change.
5. "We cannot sit on the sidelines as healthcare changes around us," Ms. Agee said in her address. "We must lead … for all our patients. We must lead for our teams, the caregivers and staff who demonstrate care and compassion every day. Together, with open ears and eyes and hearts, we will be the catalyst for change in a sector that is ripe for it."
6. Ms. Agee has served as the chief of Carilion Clinic since 2011. Carilion Clinic is a nearly $2 billion nonprofit integrated health system that serves more than 1 million people annually.
Listen to Ms. Agee's full investiture speech here.