C. Duane Dauner, MS

President and Chief Executive Officer, California Hospital Association
 

C. Duane Dauner was appointed president/CEO of the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (CAHHS) in November 1985. On January 1, 1996, CAHHS transformed into the California Hospital Association (CHA) and Mr. Dauner was appointed president/CEO of this new organization, as well. CHA is devoted to statewide representation and advocacy for California's health care organizations and is one of the nation's largest state health care associations, representing nearly 400 hospitals and health systems.

Mr. Dauner's association with hospitals began in Kansas in 1966. In 1975, he left the Kansas Hospital Association to become president/CEO of the Missouri Hospital Association. Mr. Dauner has been active in national hospital and health care issues, serving on numerous American Hospital Association (AHA) and American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) committees. He also is a fellow of ACHE. He has served as a member of the AHA Board of Trustees and the Hospital Research and Educational Trust Board of Trustees, an affiliate of AHA. In addition, he has authored numerous articles and a book, and is a nationally known leader on health issues.

In 2002, Mr. Dauner received ACHE's highest honor, the Gold Medal Award, which is bestowed on outstanding leaders who, through a career of service, have made significant contributions to the health care profession and field, and who best exemplify leadership at the organizational, local, state and national levels. In 2004, he received the Mathies Award for Vision and Excellence in Healthcare Leadership, which is given in recognition of courageous and creative leaders in health care administration and policy whose commitment and accomplishments are a model for others to emulate in changing the shape of health care. In 2006, he received the UCLA Health Services Alumni Association Leader of Today award. Also in 2006, he was the recipient of the Health Care Executives of Southern California Lifetime Achievement award.

Mr. Dauner has served on the boards of numerous professional, business and political organizations. He is a past chair of Californians Allied for Patient Protection (CAPP), a coalition of providers and health liability insurers organized to preserve the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975 (MICRA). He also lectures for several university graduate programs in health care administration. Mr. Dauner attended Pepperdine University in California and Wichita State University in Kansas, where he received bachelor's and master's degrees. He taught mathematics and logic at Wichita State University and, following postgraduate study at the University of Nebraska, became an assistant professor at Washburn University of Topeka, Kansas.