HAP president and CEO to retire next year

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Andy Carter, president and CEO of The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) since 2012 will retire next year. 

Carter announced his plans to retire by June 30 on Friday. 

“I am grateful to the HAP Board of Directors and our member hospitals and health systems for their support and confidence in my leadership role this past decade,” Carter said. “Together with a truly remarkable team of dedicated professionals, we have strengthened health care in Pennsylvania by making it more accessible, affordable, and higher quality.” 

He continued, “From successfully advocating early in my tenure for Medicaid expansion, to relentlessly improving quality and safety, HAP and its members have been vigorous champions for achieving the vision of a healthy Pennsylvania. I’m also grateful to health care champions in government, fellow health care advocates, the business community, and the tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians who have joined us in fighting for the outstanding health care we deserve.” 

 Carter said COVID’s impact on health and the health care system was profound. “It will take years to recover and rebuild, and I’m absolutely confident that the HAP board, HAP’s membership, the staff, and the next CEO will bring strategic savvy, grit, intelligence, and energy to the multi-year task.” 

 Carter started his career as a lobbyist for Catholic Charities in Maryland, advocating for low-income families. He later worked in Massachusetts state government, the managed health care industry, and business consulting before entering the association field in 2001 as the president of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association. Before joining HAP, he led the Washington, D.C.-based Visiting Nurse Associations of America. 

“When he first joined us, Andy promised to help put our patients’ needs front and center in our advocacy and quality improvement work across the commonwealth,” said Michele Volpe, chair of the HAP board and chief operating officer of Penn Medicine. “The board is grateful that he delivered on that promise, leaving a legacy of a patient-centered focus for HAP, tools to build the health care workforce, and a publicly supported path to financial sustainability. And while we will miss Andy’s vision and leadership, we are energized by the opportunity to recruit the next extraordinary leader to help us position HAP and its members for continued success in a rapidly evolving health care landscape.” 

The HAP Board of Directors has appointed a search committee and chosen Chicago-based executive search firm WittKieffer to help conduct a national search. Carter will remain with HAP until a successor is appointed and will assist with the transition.