Kenneth Raske

President and CEO

Greater New York Hospital Association

Kenneth Raske has been President of Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) since 1984. An expert on health care policy and finance, Mr. Raske plays a key role in shaping the health care delivery system and has helped guide GNYHA’s hospital and continuing care members through decades of dramatic change in the health care marketplace. Mr. Raske has also been instrumental in growing GNYHA to the nearly 250 hospitals and continuing care facilities, both voluntary and public, in the metropolitan New York area and throughout the State, as well as New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, that it represents today.

During the past several years, GNYHA has played a critical role at the State level opposing health care funding cutbacks and advocating for the passage of legislation that will help protect funding for teaching hospitals and charity care programs, expand health insurance coverage for low-income, uninsured adults, and recruit and retain a qualified health care workforce.

On the Federal front, GNYHA has been a leading advocate in the fight for relief from the deep Medicare and Medicaid cuts—particularly to teaching hospitals—that threaten the health care community almost every year. GNYHA is also a strong advocate, on both the State and Federal levels, for fair payment practices by private insurers and HMOs, and has been a staunch and vocal supporter of tort reform, among other issues.

In 2001, GNYHA played a key role in coordinating the hospital community’s response to the September 11 World Trade Center attack and subsequent bioterrorism threats. Under Mr. Raske’s leadership, GNYHA has also established an Emergency Preparedness Coordinating Council, which meets on a regular basis and brings together GNYHA members as well as local, State, and Federal public health officials and emergency management agencies to encourage collaboration and communication across the region and to ensure an integrated response to any future attacks or events.

Under Mr. Raske’s leadership, GNYHA has developed expertise in the areas of government affairs; health finance; managed care; long term care; and numerous legal, regulatory, and professional affairs including workforce shortage issues and quality-of-care issues. Mr. Raske also created The Health Economics and Outcomes Research Institute (THEORI), which analyzes and interprets fiscal data and economic trends affecting health care providers.

Also under Mr. Raske’s leadership, GNYHA has developed a portfolio of business subsidiaries called GNYHA Ventures, Inc.—which includes GNYHA Services, Inc., Nexera, Inc., Innovatix, LLC, and New Business Initiatives—that provides important products and services to health care organizations in the metropolitan area and across the country. Significantly, GNYHA’s advocacy efforts receive substantial financial support from these businesses, creating a valuable symbiotic relationship. In 2008, GNYHA’s affiliated businesses engaged in approximately $7 billion worth of commerce, resulting in almost $100 million in revenue—and approximately $14 million in residual to provide advocacy and support services to members and customers.

Mr. Raske is a frequent lecturer and commentator on health care topics. Before coming to GNYHA, Mr. Raske held positions as Senior Vice President and Deputy Director at the Michigan Hospital Association, Study Director at the American Hospital Association, and Research Associate at the American Medical Association.

In 2009, Mr. Raske was awarded with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the New York College of Podiatric Medicine.