HARRISBURG, Pa., April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) today announced the appointment of Michael P. Strazzella as vice president, federal relations.
Strazzella has ten years of experience in government relations, legislative strategy, grassroots advocacy, and political action campaigns. He will run HAP’s federal relations program from Washington, D.C., serving as the association’s federal lobbyist and strategist. He assumes his new post on May 17.
“Mike has developed a strong presence on Capitol Hill and is well respected by lawmakers and legislative staff,” said Carolyn F. Scanlan, president and CEO of HAP. “We are very pleased that he is joining our team to develop a Washington-based presence that will provide additional advocacy opportunities for Pennsylvania’s hospitals and health systems.”
Strazzella comes to HAP from the American Psychiatric Association (APA), where he served as deputy director, congressional relations. In that position, he educated members of Congress, the White House, and federal agencies on association issues; formulated lobbying strategies; initiated coalition activity in support of APA positions; chaired the Coalition for Fairness of Mental Illness Coverage, which advocates for mental health parity legislation; and managed lobbying efforts around Medicare managed care reform, prescription drug coverage, fraud and abuse, graduate medical education, and telemedicine.
Prior to his career with the APA, Strazzella managed congressional and regulatory affairs for The American Society of Clinical Pathologists (now The American Society for Clinical Pathology), and state and regional relations for The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. He has also initiated strategic corporate and grassroots communications programs for Fortune 500 companies and national trade associations, and worked on campaigns for United States Senators Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum.
“With Mike’s arrival, we will benefit from the expertise of a professional with outstanding connections in Washington’s advocacy circles,” said James M. Redmond, HAP’s senior vice president, legislative services. “We are confident that he will be able to make an immediate and significant contribution to the promotion of the federal agenda of Pennsylvania’s hospitals and health systems.”
Strazzella holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Gettysburg College. He lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife Kara and their daughter Allison.
HAP is a statewide membership services organization that advocates for nearly 250 Pennsylvania acute and specialty care, primary care, subacute care, long-term care, home health, and hospice providers, as well as the patients and communities they serve. Additional information about HAP is available online at http://www.haponline.org/.
The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania
CONTACT: Roger H. Baumgarten, Director, Media Relations of Work:+1-717-561-5342, or Cell: +1-717-329-9537, rbaumgarten@haponline.org
Web site: http://haponline.org/