Houston Healthcare’s Burton Carriker Graduates from Leadership GHA
Burton Carriker, Program Administrator of Behavioral Health Services at Houston Medical Center, recently graduated from Leadership GHA, a prestigious health care leadership program of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA). Carriker, who has worked at Houston Medical Center for 1 1/2 years, received his Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas. He was one of only 30 hospital employees from around the state to receive a diploma from Leadership GHA during the association’s annual convention recently.
“This is a significant accomplishment for 30 people who are already making a difference in the Georgia hospital community today and are committed to continued professional growth and achievement,” said GHA President Joseph A. Parker. “Their investment of time in this rigorous leadership development course will pay major dividends as they continue to advance in their health care careers.”
Responding to the need to develop new leaders to take the reigns of tomorrow’s hospitals and health care systems in Georgia, the GHA Board of Trustees unanimously endorsed the creation of Leadership GHA in the fall of 2003. The six-month program, which begins each fall, utilizes a variety of techniques to educate participants on the unique and diverse issues that characterize Georgia’s health care system. The program includes workshops, conferences, panel discussions and field trips to a variety of hospitals and health systems throughout the state.
As the leadership skills of the participants are developed and expanded, they are encouraged to use these skills to transform and improve Georgia’s health care system and their individual communities. To qualify for participation in the Leadership GHA program, individuals from Georgia hospitals and health systems must be nominated by GHA-member CEOs. An impartial selection committee reviews the nomination applications and selects a limited number of participants for the program.
Established in 1929, GHA is the leading trade organization of hospitals and health systems in the state providing education, research and risk management services to its more than 180 hospital and health system members. Additionally, it represents and advocates health policy issues benefiting Georgia’s citizens before the state legislature and U.S. Congress as well as before regulatory bodies.