OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 15, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alameda Health System (AHS), a nationally recognized public health care provider, has announced the appointment of Joel Ginsberg as AHS's Director of Legislative Affairs and Community Advocacy. Mr. Ginsberg will act as a liaison to elected officials and government entities, track changes in health care law and regulation, and work to strengthen AHS's engagement with the community. He joins AHS with nearly 20 years of experience in government, law, management consulting, and health policy.
"Joel's proven ability to engage communities and strengthen partnerships is an asset to our organization," said Wright L. Lassiter, III, chief executive officer of AHS. "His exceptional career in Washington D.C. and the Bay Area will lend great momentum to our strategic goal of developing a sustainable, integrated network of care."
Mr. Ginsberg worked at the White House and Office of the Vice President under President Clinton, where he held political appointments at the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the US Information Agency. He worked as a legislative assistant to Congresswoman Lynn Schenk and as a Fellow on the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, where he helped win passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Ryan White CARE Act. He also practiced law at the firm now known as Katten Muchin Rosenman. He served as a management consultant at Arthur Andersen Business Consulting and CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, and as the Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.
Mr. Ginsberg earned an MBA and law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Chicago.
About Alameda Health System
Alameda Health System (AHS), a major public health care provider headquartered in Oakland, California, is recognized as a world-class patient and family centered system of care. Its mission – caring, healing, teaching and serving all – sums up the AHS core objectives to promote wellness and eliminate disparities within the diverse communities it serves in Alameda County. As a regional and national leader in health care safety and excellence, AHS aims to optimize the health of all Alameda County residents by multiplying access points to its best-in-class care.
AHS creates positive patient experiences. Service and community engagement are a priority, and the system offers programs that deliver value to individuals across all patient populations regardless of their social or economic status. Quality, financial strength and development of the workforce are also system hallmarks that ensure continual improvement to every aspect of our reach in the community.
A major economic force in Alameda County, AHS employs 3,200 people, including over 500 physicians at seven facilities. These include Highland Hospital, a major regional trauma center and teaching hospital, John George Psychiatric Hospital, an acute and emergency care facility in San Leandro, California; Fairmont Hospital, an acute rehabilitation hospital and skilled nursing facility, also in San Leandro; and four ambulatory wellness centers in Oakland, Newark and Hayward, California.