Brian Gragnolati to Receive AHA Distinguished Service Award

WASHINGTON (April 9, 2024) – The American Hospital Association (AHA) will present its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, to Brian Gragnolati, president and CEO of Atlantic Health System, an integrated system with 20,000 team members serving more than half the state of New Jersey. Gragnolati will receive the 2024 award during a ceremony on April 15 at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Gragnolati has led Atlantic Health System since 2015 and is a nationally respected voice in health care and a frequent speaker at national and international events. Gragnolati has received numerous awards, including twice being presented the AHA’s Partnership for Action Grassroots Champion Award in recognition of his advocacy on behalf of the field. He played a key role in New Jersey’s pandemic response, serving on both the Office of the Governor’s COVID-19 Restart & Recovery Advisory Council and Professional Advisory Committee.

“Brian has worked tirelessly to lead the transformation of care in New Jersey and across America,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “Brian’s dedication to improving access to high quality care while reducing costs through investments in people and technologies has improved the health care experience for everyone who enters the doors of Atlantic Health and his ideas have inspired the entire hospital field.”

Gragnolati has been actively engaged with the AHA for over 20 years. In addition to leading the AHA Board in 2019, he chaired the Operations Committee, the Committee on Health Care Strategy and Innovation, and the Section for Metropolitan Hospitals Council. He also served as a member of the Executive Committee and other task forces and advisory groups.

Gragnolati started his career as an emergency medical technician. He holds a B.S. in Health Systems Analysis from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from Western New England College.

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About the American Hospital Association (AHA)
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.