Bea Grause, J.D. ‘91 is leading the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) as President.

HANYS is New York’s statewide healthcare association, representing 500 hospitals, health systems, continuing care providers, and other healthcare providers the state.   Bea began her tenure as President of HANYS on July 1, 2016, and she directs all of the association’s activities, including advocacy, education, quality improvement, and data analytics.  With the likely impending repeal of the Affordable Care Act, one of her main areas of focus is protecting patient access to care in New York.

“This is an important time of healthcare transformation—it’s exciting and inspiring,” said Bea. “I’m honored to partner with our members, policy makers, and stakeholders to achieve better care for all New Yorkers.”

She joined HANYS after serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems for 14 years.  In that position, she successfully led Vermont hospitals through a variety of reform initiatives, including the state’s single-payer debate, continuously and intentionally building the hospitals’ brand as trusted, competent leaders.  

Bea also worked for ten years in Washington D.C. in a variety of positions, beginning as a Legislative Assistant for U.S. Representatives Norman Y. Mineta and Joseph P. Kennedy II. She simultaneously held senior governmental affairs positions with the Tennessee Hospital Association and Massachusetts Hospital Association. She spent the last three years working as counsel with the law firm of Foley, Hoag, where she developed tailored legislative and regulatory strategies for healthcare clients.

Before Washington D.C., Ms. Grause spent ten years in California, where she worked as a registered nurse, primarily in the emergency room and intensive care areas at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

Bea recently completed a three-year term (2012 to 2015) as an at-large member of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Board of Trustees, including a 2015 term on the AHA Executive and AHA CEO Search Committees.  As part of her AHA Board responsibilities, she also served as chairman of the AHA Allied Advisory Committee on Medicaid.   

Ms. Grause earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Boston College in 1979 and is currently a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She is also a 2003 graduate of the Vermont Leadership Institute.