Chicago, IL - February 2, 2007 - Robert W. Allen, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of the Merrimack Valley Hospital recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the nation's leading professional society of healthcare leaders.

"Because healthcare management ultimately affects the people in our communities, it is critically important to have a standard of excellence promoted by a professional organization," says Thomas C. Dolan, PhD, FACHE, CAE, president and chief executive officer of ACHE. "By becoming an ACHE Fellow and simultaneously earning board certification from ACHE, healthcare leaders can show that they are committed to providing high-quality service to their patients and community."

Fellow status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. In fact, only 5,400 healthcare executives hold this distinction. To obtain Fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional/community involvement. Fellows are also committed to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years.

Allen of the Merrimack Valley Hospital is privileged to use the FACHE credential, which signifies board certification in healthcare management and ACHE Fellow status.

For more information regarding the FACHE credential, please contact the ACHE Division of Membership at (312) 424-9400 or membership1@ache.org, or visit the Credentialing area of ache.org.

The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of more than 30,000 healthcare executives who lead our nation's hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. ACHE is known for its prestigious credentialing and educational programs and its annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws more than 4,000 participants each year. ACHE is also known for its journal, the Journal of Healthcare Management, and magazine, Healthcare Executive, as well as ground-breaking research and career development and public policy programs. ACHE's publishing division, Health Administration Press, is one of the largest publishers of books and journals on all aspects of health services management in addition to textbooks for use in college and university courses. Through such efforts, ACHE works toward its goal of being the premier professional society for healthcare leaders by providing exceptional value to its members.