William C. Schoehard, FACHE

ACHE’s 2010 Gold Medal Award Recipient

 

Bill's involvement in healthcare administration spans thirty-five years, including most recently completing twenty-three years as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of SSM Health Care in St. Louis . He was a member of the Finance Committee of the Catholic Health Association of the United States . He also served on the Board of Trustees for the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) and was its delegate to the American Hospital Association from 1999 until 2005. He was Chairman of MHA in 2002, and was awarded the association's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. He has also served on the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees and its Executive Committee, as well as its Operations Committee, which he chaired in 2008. In these roles, Bill has been a distinguished source of advocacy and counsel in local, regional, state and national arenas. In 2003, he was appointed by the Governor of Missouri as the sole health executive member on the Missouri Commission on Patient Safety.

Throughout thirty-three years of membership, Bill's service to ACHE is exceedingly broad and comprehensive. His leadership has been instrumental to the success of several critical and high profile College initiatives, including:

Chairing the Credentials Task Force (2005-2007), a challenging but very successful endeavor

Chairing the Healthcare Executive-Supplier Relationship Task Force, leading to an important policy statement on Hospital/Vendor relationships

Bill's other important leadership contributions to the College include the Regents Advisory Council, the Confidential Committee, the Regents Assessment Committee, the Finance Committee, the Governance Implementation Task Force, the Systems Healthcare Executives Committee, the Fund Development Oversight Task Force, the Audit and Finance Committee, the Board Policy Committee, the Counselors Committee, and the Nominating Committee. He served on the Board of Governors from 2002 to 2008, on the Executive Committee from 2005 to 2008, and as ACHE Chairman in 2006 to 2007. Bill received the ACHE Regent's Award in 2002, and is one of only six persons ever to be awarded the ACHE Exemplary Service Award.

Through presentations to groups throughout the nation, Bill has worked to advance the knowledge and skills sets of others in the healthcare field. A list of his presentations and publications is included in the nomination packet. His presentation topics have focused on a wide range of critical success factors in healthcare including quality, leadership, mission-focus, alignment and integration of services. His publications have provided guidance to governing bodies and executive teams on management best practice, employee relations, performance management and care management. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Graduate Program in Healthcare Administration of Washington University .

Many community and public service organizations have benefitted from Bill's service through the years. Examples include memberships on the boards of the Greater St. Louis Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, Lindenwood College, Mid America Transplant Services, Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance, and on the Advisory Board of the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Business Management. The Boy Scouts of America awarded Bill the William H. Spurgeon III Award for Outstanding Adult Leadership of the Exploring Program.

Bill also distinguished himself in service to his country, serving with honor as an officer in the United States Navy in the Philippines and Vietnam .