“Leading MHA has been the honor of my lifetime,” Walsh said in a statement. “I am enormously proud of what we have accomplished together over the course of this decade and how that united work is changing the lives of patients.”
Dr. Anne Klibanski, MHA board chair and chief executive of Mass General Brigham, similarly lauded Walsh’s depth of knowledge, while assuring that he has left MHA with a “roadmap for success.”
“MHA will remain in a strong position to lean and carry on its legacy of advancing innovative, accessible, affordable care in the commonwealth,” Klibanski said in a statement.
Both the MHA and the national association are nonprofits that work on behalf of member hospitals and health systems, although at wildly different scales. While the MHA represents more than 70 members in the state, the national nonprofit boasts nearly 5,000 member health care organizations and more than 270,000 affiliated physicians.
Steve Walsh, CEO of the Mass. Health & Hospital Association, addressed the South Shore Health board during a meeting in 2024. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff
Dr. Marc Boom, chair of the American Hospital Association board of trustees, said in a statement Walsh was selected following a national search in part because of his ability to bring people together.
“Steve is the right leader at the right time for America’s hospitals and health systems,” Boom said. “As healthcare continues to evolve, we need a leader who can both champion our field and help shape the future.”
Walsh has been ingrained in Massachusetts health care policy for two decades, first as a six-term member of state House of Representatives and then as executive director of the Massachusetts Council of Community Hospitals.
During his stint in the State House, Walsh served as chair of the House Committee on Health Care Financing and oversaw the passage of Chapter 224, a health care reform law aimed at controlling the growth of health care costs.
Massachusetts has long dealt with ballooning health care spending, particularly in the last few years. Spending on health care totaled $83.3 billion in 2024, outpacing the state’s cost containment benchmark for the fourth consecutive year, according to a Center for Health Information and Analysis report. That trend is expected to continue.
On Tuesday, Walsh’s move drew congratulations from a number of executives across the Massachusetts health care industry, including Lora Pellegrini, chief executive of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans.
“Health care is at a pivotal point, and Steve will be a strong leader for the hospital industry nationally as he has been locally,” Pellegrini said.
Michael Curry, chief executive of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, said the American Hospital Association is fortunate to be getting a leader with his moral compass.
“He has always been the most prepared in the room, the most willing to engage in difficult conversations, and the person most vested in delivering access and quality for everyone,” Curry said.
Marin Wolf can be reached at marin.wolf@globe.com.