Newswise — Stephen C. Crane, Ph.D., M.P.H., has been appointed Executive Director of the American Thoracic Society, which is headquartered in New York City, effective September 1, 2007. Dr. Crane succeeds Carl C. Booberg, who is retiring.
Prior to joining the ATS, Dr. Crane served as executive vice president and chief executive officer of the American Academy of Physician Assistants for 14 years. Under his leadership, membership in the AAPA grew from nearly 17,000 to approximately 40,000 and the organization's budget nearly tripled.
"Throughout his career, Dr. Crane has integrated a concern for improving public health with the belief that developing the next generation of healthcare providers and researchers is an essential component of better public health," said David Ingbar, M.D., president of the ATS. "That integration is also central to our mission, which is to improve the lives of patients by setting the standards of care, based on the latest science in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine."
"It has been an honor to serve the physician assistant profession, and the members of the AAPA have taught me well about the importance of teamwork in the delivery of quality medical care," said Dr. Crane. "I eagerly look forward to working with the diverse ATS team of researchers, clinicians and staff."
During the past decade, Dr. Crane has been principal investigator of a series of government-, foundation- and corporate-funded projects in areas of health policy and health services research. His tenure has also been notable for the relationships AAPA has forged with other medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Association.
Before leading the AAPA, Dr. Crane was vice president at the Association for Health Services Research and Foundation for Health Services Research in Washington, D.C. During that time, he led several projects to increase health systems productivity, make health services research available online and support research on patient-centered care. While vice president, he was named the first national director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's program for Investigator Grants in Health Policy Research.
Dr. Crane received his bachelor's degree with honors from Princeton University and his M.P.H. in health planning and his Ph.D. in public health administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in 1979. Five years later, he joined Boston University, serving as the university's director of the Pew Health Policy Doctoral Program, faculty member in the School of Public Health, and, later, assistant academic vice president for health affairs.
Dr. Crane has served on numerous national, state and municipal committees, including the Massachusetts Committee for the Medically Uninsured and the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. He has been a consultant for Boston Mayor's Committee on Access to Health Care, the Michigan Public Health Statue Revision Project and the National Presbyterian Church's Taskforce on Health Costs and Policies.
With more than 18,000 members around the world, the ATS is the leading medical association dedicated to advancing lung, critical care and sleep medicine. Founded in 1905 by a small group of physicians and scientists in the United States in order to share their experience and ideas about treating and preventing tuberculosis, the Society has greatly expanded its range of activities.
Today, the ATS publishes three journals, including the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, which has the highest impact factor in the field of respiratory medicine, and sponsors the preeminent annual scientific conference in the field. Throughout its history, the ATS has strengthened its commitment to prevention and treating respiratory diseases, critical illnesses and sleep-related disorders through research, education, patient care and advocacy. For more information about the Society, visit the ATS Web site at http://www.thoracic.org .
Dr. Crane will reside in Jersey City, New Jersey.
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