HANYS honors President Emeritus Bea Grause, RN, JD with 2026 Distinguished Service Award
Grause and AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack recognized at HANYS’ Annual Membership Conference for their support of hospitals and health systems
The Healthcare Association of New York State today presented Bea Grause, RN, JD, with its 2026 Distinguished Service Award in celebration of her impactful decade-long tenure as HANYS’ president and CEO.
“Bea truly provided distinguished service as president of HANYS,” said Steve Kelley, CEO, Ellenville Regional Hospital, and chair, HANYS board of trustees. “HANYS' board and all our members have greatly appreciated Bea’s guidance, advocacy and leadership as we’ve tackled so many significant issues together. I thank her for everything she’s done on behalf of our members and congratulate her on her much-deserved retirement.”
Grause joined HANYS as president and CEO in 2016. She previously served as president and CEO of the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems for 14 years. Grause also spent 10 years in Washington, D.C., where she served as a congressional staffer and later in senior government affairs and general counsel positions. Grause began her career as a registered nurse, primarily in the emergency room and intensive care areas.
Her tenure at HANYS has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and significant advocacy efforts in both Albany and Washington, D.C. Grause also brought significant attention to the long-term systemic challenges facing New York’s healthcare system, as illustrated in HANYS’ 2024 report, The Case for Change.
Grause has served as president emeritus since the June 15 arrival of Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., PhD, as president and CEO. Grause’s last day at HANYS is June 30.
“I’m deeply grateful to Bea for her advocacy on behalf of our hospitals and health systems throughout the past decade, and for her tremendous leadership,” said Quatroche. “She has built an organization that brings tremendous value to its members and positioned HANYS to be a trusted voice with policymakers. I have the deepest respect for Bea and the profound impact she has made on healthcare in New York.”
Earlier Thursday, the HANYS board of trustees presented Rick Pollack, president and CEO, American Hospital Association, with an Award of Distinction. Serving as AHA’s top leader since 2015, Pollack is widely recognized for his strong, effective advocacy and leadership on behalf of our nation’s hospitals, patients and communities they serve, and the healthcare professionals those organizations support.
“The AHA is an indispensable partner for HANYS. Under Rick’s stellar leadership, our collaborative advocacy efforts have strived to meet the dynamic needs of New York hospitals and hospitals across the nation,” said Grause. “Rick has been the rock-solid leader America’s hospitals have needed through this tumultuous time.”
HANYS thanks Grause and Pollack for their longtime contributions to healthcare and wishes them both the best in their next chapters.
About HANYS
The Healthcare Association of New York State is New York’s statewide hospital and continuing care association, representing nonprofit and public hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies and other healthcare organizations. HANYS is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the health of individuals and communities by providing leadership, representation and service to healthcare providers and systems across the entire continuum of care.
