The CEO of Cary Medical Center has been appointed as chair of the American Hospital Association National Committee on the Future of Rural Health Care.

Kris Doody, CEO and RN at Cary, will chair a task force with executives from member hospitals and health systems of the AHA. The task force help identify future trends, explore challenges faced by rural hospitals, recommend policy changes and increase awareness in the health care field.

In addition to being at the helm of Cary Medical Center, Doody is also CEO for Pines Health Services. In the past, she served as a member of the AHA national board of trustees and was named AHA Trustee of the Year in 2017. Doody says she's "honored" to be a part of the future of rural health care. “Our rural hospitals and other providers face many unique challenges from professional recruitment to an aging population, potential reductions in reimbursement and costly new technology including the high cost of prescription medications."

The Task Force will be composed of select executives from member hospital and health systems, state hospital associations and the AHA Board. It will convene over a 12-18 month period, beginning this summer and ending in December 2020.

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