YNHHS News Releases

Released May 10, 2004

VHA Inc. names Zaccagnino new board chairman

VHA Inc., the national health care alliance based in Irving, Texas, has named Joseph A. Zaccagnino, President and CEO of Yale-New Haven Hospital and its parent system Yale New Haven Health, as its new board chairman. Zaccagnino, as well as three new board members, were elected at the annual VHA shareholder meeting in San Diego on April 27.

Zaccagnino will lead the board of trustees of the non-profit organization, a nationwide network of 2,200 leading community-owned health care organizations and their affiliated physicians. VHA has 18 local offices across the U.S., and makes up nearly 26 percent of the nation’s community hospitals, including many of the nation’s largest and most respected institutions. VHA helps members identify, integrate and implement best practices that will improve clinical and operational performance.

“Joe Zaccagnino offers a wealth of experience and will provide VHA with key strategic counsel as we strive to increase both our value and impact on members,” said Curt Nonomaque, president and chief executive officer of VHA. “Our mission is to improve members’ strength by enabling them to improve patient care, operations and supply management.   He is ideally suited to lead this organization and will help VHA fulfill its mission in these challenging times.”

Zaccagnino has served as a member of the senior management team of Yale New Haven Health System and Yale-New Haven Hospital since 1970, and in 1991, he was appointed president and CEO of both organizations. Just before he assumed leadership of the VHA board, he completed his term as chair of the National Committee for Quality Health Care, a national non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of health care in the United States.

“At a time when the opportunities and challenges in American health care have never been greater, organizations like VHA support America’s voluntary health system through performance enhancement initiatives,” said Zaccagnino. “VHA is committed to assisting its member hospitals improve quality and performance and reduce health care costs. I am delighted to contribute to this important organization’s work.”

Zaccagnino has been in the health care field for 34 years, after earning a B.S. from the University of Connecticut School of Business Administration and a Master of Public Health in hospital administration from Yale University School of Medicine. Zaccagnino is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Hospital Research and Development Institute, the Healthcare Executives Study Society and the American Hospital Association Health System Governing Council. He serves on the boards of NewAlliance Bank and the New Haven Regional Leadership Council.

Yale-New Haven Hospital is a 944-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine. Yale-New Haven was founded as the fourth voluntary hospital in the U.S. in 1826 and today, the hospital complex includes Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital, with a combined medical staff of about 2,400 university and community physicians practicing in more than 100 specialties.
www.ynhh.org

Yale New Haven Health System is the largest and most comprehensive integrated health care delivery system in Connecticut recognized for advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to improving the health status of its communities. Yale New Haven Health serves Connecticut, eastern New York and southwestern Rhode Island.
yalenewhavenhealth.org

VHA Inc. is a nationwide network of 2,200 leading community-owned health care organizations and their affiliated physicians. Based in Irving, Texas, with 18 local offices across the U.S., VHA comprises nearly 26 percent of the nation’s community hospitals, including many of the nation’s largest and most respected institutions. VHA helps members identify, integrate and implement best practices that will improve clinical and operational performance. As a cooperative, VHA distributes income annually to members based on their participation.
www.vha.org