Academics

CEO of Penn State Health St. Joseph to speak at fall commencement

A new class of 171 Penn State Berks students will receive their baccalaureate and associate degrees at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, in the Beaver Community Center when Berks hosts the fall 2016 commencement ceremony.

The honorary keynote speaker this year will be John R. Morahan, president and chief executive officer of Penn State Health St. Joseph, a health network consisting of St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Joseph Downtown Reading Campus, St. Joseph Medical Group, St. Joseph Provider Hospital Organization, as well as 15 ambulatory care locations throughout Berks County.

A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), Morahan joined St. Joseph in 1999. During his tenure, the St. Joseph organization has won numerous quality, safety, and environmental friendly awards including being named a Top 100 Hospital.

From 2001 to 2006, Morahan oversaw the planning, design, construction and opening of the $140-million replacement hospital in Bern Township. He also initiated a community-led assessment of the former hospital property that resulted in the donation of the former campus at 12th and Walnut Streets in Reading to the Reading School District. In 2015, he led the team that successfully planned St. Joseph’s transition into Penn State Health, becoming the first hospital in the newly-formed system. Previous to that, St. Joseph was a member of Catholic Health Initiatives, a 100+-hospital, $15.2-billion dollars in operating revenues health care system. For more than 10 years, Morahan served on the CHI Board Strategic Planning Committee.

In 2010, he was appointed to a three-year term on the board of The Hospital & Health System Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), based in Harrisburg, PA. He was reappointed to the HAP board in 2013. He has also served on HAP’s Executive Committee, as well as chaired HAP’s Committee on Quality and Care Management.

In addition, Morahan is a board member and treasurer of the Pennsylvania Catholic Healthcare Association (PCHA), where he also served as Board President. He is a member of the Berks County Workforce Investment Board and a member of Penn State Berks Advisory Board. He also has served as a Pennsylvania Delegate to the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board.

Morahan earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh where he also earned a master’s in healthcare administration. He earned a second master’s in public administration, health planning and policy, from The Pennsylvania State University.

 

Last Updated December 12, 2016