Mary Grealy is president of the Healthcare Leadership Council, a coalition of chief executives of the nation’s leading health care companies and organizations. The HLC advocates consumer-centered health care reform, emphasizing the value of private sector innovation. It is the only health policy advocacy group that represents all sectors of the health care industry. She was appointed to the position in August 1999. Ms. Grealy has an extensive background in health care policy. She has led important initiatives on the uninsured, Medicare reform, improving patient safety and quality, protecting the privacy of patient medical information and reforming the medical liability laws. She testifies frequently before Congress and federal regulatory agencies. From 1995 until she began her tenure at HLC, she served as Chief Washington Counsel for the American Hospital Association, a national organization representing all types of hospitals, health systems and health care networks. In her position, she was responsible for the organization’s legal advocacy before Congress, as well as executive and judicial branches of government. From 1979 to 1995, Ms. Grealy was Chief Operating Officer and Executive Counsel for the Federation of American Hospitals, a trade association representing 1,700 investor-owned and managed hospitals and health systems. She coordinated legislative and regulatory policies as well as lobbying activities for the Federation. Ms. Grealy has a bachelor degree from Michigan State University and a law degree from Duquesne University. She served on the Board of Directors of TEAMHealth, one of the largest providers of outsourced physician staffing solutions for hospitals in the United States, and the Board of Directors of Duquesne University. She is Chair of the David A. Winston Health Policy Fellowship and serves on the board of the Women Business Leaders in Health and the March of Dimes Public Policy Council. She is also a member of the American Health Lawyers Association. She is a frequent public speaker on health issues and has been ranked many times by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare and has been named to Modern Healthcare’s list of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare.