July 1, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Len Bruzzese, executive director, 573-884-5606

COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new board of directors for the Association of Health Care Journalists has been seated for the 2006-2007 fiscal year.

Incumbents returned to the board include Kristen Hallam, Bloomberg News; Suzanne Havala Hobbs, University of North Carolina; Trudy Lieberman, Consumers Union; Ivan Oransky, The Scientist; and Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press. The board then voted to place Phil Galewitz, The Palm Beach Post, in the board’s one uncontested seat.

The board has also elected officers for the next year. Lieberman will return as president. Charles Ornstein will move to vice president from treasurer. Karl Stark will move from secretary to treasurer. Mary Chris Jaklevic will take on the secretary role.

Also on the board are Andrew Holtz, a Portland, Ore., freelancer; Carla K. Johnson, The Associated Press; and Maria Simbra, KDKA-Pittsburgh.

Former vice president Sanjay Bhatt chose to step down from the board after several years of service.

The Association of Health Care Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. Its mission is to improve the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing. AHCJ is housed at the Missouri School of Journalism.