The ballots have been counted and we are pleased to announce the 2003 SHCA Board of Directors: Brenda Radford, President-elect; and Mary Barks, Pam Mann, and Bonnie Wheeler as Board members.

President-elect Brenda Radford is Director, Guest Services & International Patient Center & Volunteer Services at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. She has been extremely active on both the national and local levels, including serving on the 2002 Board of Directors as chair of the 2002 Annual Conference Planning Work Group.

"Flexibility, self-motivation, enthusiasm, commitment, countless energy, and my ability to think quickly on my feet are all attributes that I believe I can offer in providing leadership as SHCA President-elect."

Mary Barks is Manager of Consumer Advocacy at Campbell County Memorial Hospital in Gillette, Wyoming. She is currently serving on the 2003 Annual Conference Planning Work Group. "I have seen many strong leaders in SHCA and strongly desire to be a part of that leadership, to bring a positive voice to the table and new ideas for the organization as well as its mission."

Pam Mann is a Patient Representative at Saint Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is a 2002 Board Member, having graciously agreed to complete the Board term of a previous Board member who resigned her seat. "I am fortunate to have had various experiences through my involvement at the state and national levels. This affords me a better view of what the big picture of health care and consumer advocacy is about. Using those experiences in my daily interactions with patients, families and staff provides me ongoing opportunities to make the voice of the patient heard and be the center of why we are in healthcare."

Bonnie Wheeler is Manager of Patient & Provider Network Services at Bay Valley Medical Group in Hayward, California. "I strongly support SHCA's desire to encompass ALL of the varied arenas that employ patient advocates and would enthusiastically represent the medical group perspective."

Continuing their term as Board Members are Sandra Geiger, manager of Patient Relations at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, GA; Aliede Klein, director of Volunteers and Patient Relations at Citrus Valley Health Partners in Covina, CA; and Laura Weil, director of the Patient Representative Department at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, NY.

We also give a very, very special thank you to our outgoing Board members. Jerri Scarzella has been a strong guiding force for the past three years, especially working through the cancellation of the 2002 annual conference. Irene Zbiczak has been an inspiration to all of her peers as the epitome of the perfect Board member.