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Petasnick Receives Honorary Doctorate
MILWAUKEE (May 21, 2007) — Froedtert Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Petasnick received an honorary doctorate in health sciences from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM) on May 20 at the university’s spring commencement festivities.
According to Carlos Santiago, chancellor for UWM, the university’s faculty and the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System chose to present this honorary degree to Petasnick because of his professional and personal achievements.
“Bill is committed to clinical and organizational excellence and has a vision for meeting the healthcare needs of Milwaukee’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Santiago. “These qualities, combined with his work as Froedtert’s CEO, made him an exemplar of the ‘best and brightest’ in healthcare administration.”
Petasnick is the 2007 chair-elect of the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees and chairs the Long-Range Policy Committee. He is the 109th person to serve in this office and only the fourth person from Wisconsin to occupy this national position. Petasnick has also served in other national and state leadership roles including the 2003 chair of the Council of Teaching Hospitals and the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA). In 2003, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the WHA.
Prior to joining Froedtert in 1993, Petasnick served as deputy director and chief operating officer, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; director of operations/chief operating officer, University of North Carolina Hospital; and senior associate director, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics.
He is also a board member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, the Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin, and the Downtown Rotary Club of Milwaukee. In 2006, he received the Rotary Club of Milwaukee's “Rotary Person of the Year” for his service as a leader in the healthcare profession and for making the metropolitan Milwaukee community a better place. Petasnick is an adjunct associate professor of health management at the University of Iowa. He earned a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MHA from the University of Minnesota.
Author: Samantha Andrews Last Review Date: May 21, 2007 |