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Contact: Rodney Foushee
Public Relations & Marketing Manager
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Dr. Dana Christianson Receives N.C. Hospital Association Trustee Award
BREVARD, N.C., April 18, 2008—Transylvania Community Hospital is pleased to announce that Dr. Dana Christianson, chairman of the TCH board, has received the North Carolina Hospital Association’s Trustee Service Award for 2008.
Christianson was one of six hospital trustees statewide honored at the NCHA’s annual Trustee Institute held April 12 in Pinehurst. The Trustee Service Award recognizes trustees who have made significant and unique contributions to their hospitals and the communities they serve.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Dana on our team,” said Bob Bednarek, president and CEO of Transylvania Community Hospital. “Much of the hospital’s success and ability to provide needed healthcare to the community is because of Dr. Christianson’s leadership, insight and ability to balance his duties to the medical staff and the hospital in order to make positive changes for patient care. His leadership and dedication to this hospital and the future of healthcare in this community is evident in everything he does.”
Christianson, an ophthalmologist and cofounder of Looking Glass Eye Center, joined the Transylvania Community Hospital Foundation Board in 1990, just a few years after the inception of the fund-raising arm of the organization. He served for 13 years. During his tenure, the foundation reached several milestones, including raising $5 million in one campaign to fund construction of new emergency, lab, radiology and surgery departments at the hospital. Christianson’s direct, humble and consistent leadership and personal philanthropy set an excellent example with the general as well as medical communities—resulting in continual growth each year in fundraising efforts. Upon the completion of Christianson’s last term, the TCH Foundation had built a $10 million base of investment assets, in addition to the millions of dollars of special funds raised each year for specific projects.
Christianson immediately joined the Transylvania Community Hospital Board upon the completion of his final foundation board term. As a trustee, he was intimately involved in major decisions that have positively affected patient care and access to healthcare services. Highlights include decisions to renew facilities, convert to a Critical Access Hospital, pursue Certificates of Need for various services and create a hospitalist program.
In 2007, he became the chairman of the board. Very serious issues came to a head during the past year, resulting in one of the most significant board decisions in recent history: to integrate with physicians and form one aligned organization. Extreme due diligence was demanded by Christianson as integration with the medical community was pursued, and his unique talent of leading the board while at the same time promoting balanced communication and input from his physician peers contributed to success with this initiative. Ultimately, the legacy of building an integrated healthcare delivery system will be apparent in the hospital’s continued ability to recruit and retain quality physicians, resulting in excellent access to care.
“Hospital trustees are faced with a special set of challenges and demands unique to their local communities,” said NCHA President Bill Pully. “They deserve statewide recognition for their leadership and dedication to the changing healthcare delivery system.”
About NCHA
NCHA is a statewide association representing 135 hospitals and health networks across North Carolina. The association promotes improved community health status and delivery of quality healthcare through leadership, information, education and advocacy.
About Transylvania Community Hospital
Celebrating its 75th year, Transylvania Community Hospital is a nationally ranked 5-Star Hospital and a leading provider of quality healthcare services in Transylvania and surrounding counties. Based in Brevard, N.C., it is a not-for-profit community hospital founded in 1933 and is the largest employer in Transylvania County.