Ohio Hospital Association appoints new president

The Ohio Hospital Association has hired as its new president the former chief executive of the Iowa Medical Society.

Mike Abrams, 50, will begin his new role in February with the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA), the state’s trade group for hospitals.

Abrams will succeed Jim Castle in the role. Castle has held the OHA’s top post for 23 years, according to a statement from the group.

The OHA touted Abrams’ work with physicians in his previous job as among his key qualifications for his new role.

“Having the opportunity to bring what I have learned about working with physicians to all that OHA does on behalf of hospitals is a harmonic convergence,” Abrams said in the statement.

Abrams was born in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to his work in Iowa, Abrams led government relations for the Indiana State Medical Association.

The OHA represents 167 hospitals and 19 health systems across Ohio.