AHA President Rick Pollack to retire by end of 2026

Longtime American Hospital Association President Rick Pollack will retire by the end of 2026, the organization announced on Wednesday.

Pollack has spent 43 years at the AHA, including the last decade at its helm, according to the announcement. He played a critical role in leading the hospital industry through the COVID-19 pandemic, including efforts to secure key flexibilities and financial support from regulators during the public health crisis.

Other key focus areas for Pollack during his tenure include strengthening the workforce, patient safety and enhancements to cybersecurity measures.

“It has been an honor and privilege to have had the opportunity to represent the women and men of America’s hospitals who are passionate in their commitment to providing essential public services, keeping people healthy and serving as the cornerstone of care for virtually every community in America,” Pollack said in the announcement. “Hospital and health system leaders and their teams have always been a source of hope and healing, and they will continue to be for generations to come.”

Pollack first joined the AHA in 1982, and he spent more than two decades as the organization’s executive vice president for advocacy and public policy before taking on the president role. He first began his career as a legislative aide in Washington, D.C.

The AHA’s board has tapped WittKieffer to lead a national search for its next president. Pollack will “remain fully engaged” during the transition, and the board voted to name Pollack AHA President and CEO Emeritus during the transition period.

“Rick Pollack’s tenure has been defined by his unwavering commitment to hospitals, caregivers and the communities we serve. His leadership guided hospitals through unprecedented challenges and transformations, while also advancing access, quality, and safety,” said AHA Board of Trustees Chair Tina Freese Decker, president and chief executive officer of Corewell Health in Michigan, in the announcement. “Our patients and communities have better health care today because of his endless dedication and relentless drive.”