THE VALUED VOICE

Longtime Mercyhealth Board Chairman Rowland “Rollie” McClellan is the recipient of the 2016 Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) Trustee Award. The annual award goes to a health care trustee that has made an exemplary commitment to the community.

In 1971, McClellan joined the Mercy Hospital Board of Directors. The then-struggling, single-location hospital had just begun operating under a community board. In 1983, he was elected chair of the Board of Directors, a role he continues today after 45 years. Under McClellan’s guidance, Mercyhealth grew from a small, struggling hospital into a thriving, nationally recognized vertically integrated system serving more than 1.2 million patients annually.

WHA President/CEO Eric Borgerding presented the award to McClellan November 15 at the Mercyhealth community board meeting on the Mercyhealth Campus in Janesville. 

“Wisconsin has a reputation for delivering some of the highest quality, safest care in the country. I believe we can thank people like Rollie McClellan for helping us achieve that status through his service not only on the Board, but for his commitment to ensuring that our residents have access to great care in their local community.” said Borgerding.

“Rollie is a man of intelligence, loyalty and compassion. His vision has been a guiding light for Mercyhealth,” said Javon R. Bea, President and CEO of Mercyhealth, who nominated him for the award. “I have had the pleasure of working side-by-side with Rollie for nearly 30 years. It is remarkable to think about the guidance and leadership Rollie has given this organization through all the years of growth and economic change. His passion and commitment to improving the health and well-being of patients in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois is unparalleled, and we would like to thank him for his many years of service.”