George J. Pogan

Secretary

George J. Pogan, has many years of successful health care management, policy advising, community service, program development, planning and consulting experience serving regional health systems, state and federal governments, hospitals, long term care facilities, medical groups, and accreditation agencies.  He has traveled extensively in Hungary, met with government leaders, visited thirty-five Hungarian hospitals, clinics, and institutes, and met with the medical and community leadership. 

Among the projects and assignments related to Hungary are: provided consulting services to Hungarian hospitals to demonstrate activity-based cost management in a newly established DRG similar payment system; led a Rotary International project which provided a state-of-the-art operating microscope to a Hungarian post graduate medical university and a fellowship to a surgeon from Hungary to train at the Cleveland Clinic in microsurgery; conducted a needs assessment for health care facilities and services in Hungary for the American University Programs in Health Administration and Johnson & Johnson.

He has served on many association and community boards, including appointments as Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Medicaid, the Prospective Payment Advisory Committee of the National Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, the Accreditation Council on Ambulatory Health Care of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the Government Relations Committee of the Ohio Hospital Association, the first National Advisory Committee on Disability Management for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, the Ohio Department of Health Maternity Licensure Task Force and the Ohio Perinatal Quality Foundation Board of Trustees..

He served as chair of a 14-person health care delegation to Hungary in October 1989 and witnessed the fall of the communist government and the birth of the Republic of Hungary. 

He is a member and Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International and with his wife, Sandy, served as host family to the first Hungarian exchange student approved by Rotary and developed the first International Service Project for the Chagrin Valley Rotary Club.  He was co-chair and team leader of a Rotary 3-H project to provide a beta test of a cervical cancer screening program for the women of Mexico, working with the Cleveland Clinic, Digene Corporation and Rotary Clubs of Morelia and Celaya..

He served on the Board Executive Committee and Audit Committee of the Bethlen Communities in Ligonier, PA., a Hungarian organization sponsored multi-level long term care and retirement community system. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Breckinridge Village, Ohio Living. A multilevel life care community. He serves as coordinator of Hungarian Night at the Chagrin Documentary Filmfest

He is a Life Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and served as the Regent for Northeast Ohio.  He holds a master’s degree in medical and Hospital Administration from the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh.  He has served as a preceptor for graduate students and is a mentor for health care executives advancing in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He served as a consultant and lecturer to the Graduate Health Care Administration Program at Cleveland State University.