March 30, 2005

Penn Medicine at Radnor Executive Earns Top Health Care Management Credential

Philadelphia, PA -- Michael George, Chief Operating Officer at Penn Medicine at Radnor, a University of Pennsylvania Health System multispecialy satellite facility, recently advanced to Fellow status in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), an international professional society of 30,000 health care executives.

George was recently recognized at the ACHE convocation ceremony held during the organization's annual Congress on Healthcare Management. Fellow status is the highest level of professional achievement in ACHE, with only 3,000 health care executives holding this distinction.

"The ACHE Fellowship is more meaningful than ever before," said Gary S. Horan, FACHE, president/chief executive officer of Trinitas Health in New Jersey. "At a time when corporate responsibility is challenged daily, our communities can believe in health care leaders who have earned the prestigious FACHE credential."

To obtain Fellow status, candidates must demonstrate their education, experience and leadership in the health care field for several years. They must also complete case studies, a thesis on a health care management topic, or participate in a year-long mentorship project.

The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of nearly 30,000 health care executives who lead our nation's hospitals, health care systems, and other health care organizations. ACHE is known for its prestigious credentialing and educational programs and its annual Congress on Healthcare Management, which draws more than 4,000 participants each year. ACHE is also known for its publications, including Healthcare Executive and Journal of Healthcare Management, as well as groundbreaking research and career development and public policy programs. ACHE's publishing division, Health Administration Press, is one of the largest publishers of books and journals on all aspects of health services management, in addition to college and university textbooks. Through such efforts, ACHE works toward its goal of being the premier professional society for health care leaders by providing exceptional value to its members.

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PENN Medicine is a $2.7 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn’s School of Medicine is ranked #3 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #4 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.

Penn Health System is comprised of: its flagship hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, consistently rated one of the nation’s “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; Presbyterian Medical Center; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home health care and hospice.

This release is available online at http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/mar05/GeorgeACHE.htm