The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently honored Northwestern Medical Center in appreciation for the hospital’s 100 years of participation and leadership in the American Hospital Association. While founded in 1898, AHA’s first year of admitting institutional members was 1919, meaning that Northwestern Medical Center is one of 55 charter members of the AHA. It joined AHA under its previous name of Saint Albans Hospital. The AHA presented the award to Northwestern Medical Center President and CEO Jill Berry Bowen, RN at the Annual Meeting of the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems on September 12 in Stowe, Vermont.

“Over the past 100 years, Northwestern Medical Center has been a leader in advancing health for its patients and communities in Northern Vermont.  In addition, Northwestern Medical Center has contributed to advancements in health care nationally over the decades by its leaders serving in a variety of important roles at the state and national levels,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “We thank Northwestern Medical Center for its valuable contributions to our field, including increasing access to quality health care, leading the way in the counties it serves, and serving as a model for building effective partnerships that expand health care beyond hospital beds and into communities.”

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the website at www.aha.org.