In recognition of his decades of service to the people of New York State and the healthcare community, the Healthcare Association of New York State honored Dennis P. Whalen with the 2016 Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Whalen—HANYS' President—will retire at the end of June.
A respected healthcare leader, Mr. Whalen has been an unwavering advocate for improving healthcare in New York State for more than four decades, holding key leadership positions in state government in both Democratic and Republican administrations. He joined HANYS in 2009 and has served as President since 2013.
“All New Yorkers have been well served having Dennis as a key figure in healthcare policy for the last four decades—a time of unprecedented transformation, using his political acumen and insight to shape the healthcare landscape of today and tomorrow,” said HANYS Board Chair Stephens Mundy, Chief Executive Officer, The University of Vermont Health Network—Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital. “We thank Dennis for his tremendous service and invaluable contribution to our greater community.”
Throughout his career, Mr. Whalen has used his knowledge, credibility, and capacity to reconcile conflict and achieve consensus on complex health policy issues. From his time on the Berger Commission to service as Director of State Operations, Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services, Executive Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Health, Director of the Office of Health Systems Management, and Director of the New York State AIDS Institute, Mr. Whalen developed his strong reputation for seeing the bigger picture and ensuring the most appropriate outcome.
Presenting the award was Herbert Pardes, M.D., Executive Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Pardes commended Mr. Whalen for his four decades of public service and work on behalf of healthcare in New York, extolling his ability to resolve even the most difficult issues affecting multiple stakeholders, because everyone trusts his judgment and impartiality. “He is the poster child of credibility,” remarked Dr. Pardes.
In accepting the award, Mr. Whalen said he was honored to receive the award, not the least of which because it is an award most often bestowed on “people on the front lines of healthcare, who are leading hospitals and health systems.” He said he also felt honored that Dr. Pardes was the presenter, considering Dr. Pardes' own distinguished, exceptional accomplishments on behalf of healthcare during his career. In discussing his career trajectory that led him to his leadership role at HANYS and the many important accomplishments HANYS' members and staff have been able to achieve, Mr. Whalen said he felt immense gratitude to all the healthcare provider members in the room and beyond, “for the privilege of sharing in that most critical mission of providing care to those in need.”
The HANYS Board of Trustees established the Distinguished Service Award in 1979 to recognize individuals who have demonstrated outstanding personal service in the healthcare field in one or more of the following areas: patient welfare, hospital administration, residential healthcare administration, local and state healthcare, public service, and promotion of legislation to achieve better healthcare.