BOTHELL, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE <http://www.businesswire.com> )– SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader and specialist in hand-carried ultrasound for point-of-care medicine, today announced the appointment of Rodney F. Hochman, M.D., to its Board of Directors.
Dr. Hochman, a recognized leader in healthcare, has more than 35 years of hospital management experience and has held numerous executive-level positions in hospitals across the country. He currently serves as chief executive officer of Swedish Medical Center — the largest, most comprehensive non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area — and has led the organization since April 2007. Swedish is currently comprised of three hospitals (First Hill, Cherry Hill and Ballard), a freestanding emergency department and specialty center in Issaquah, a network of 12 primary-care clinics, and a large home-care services division (Swedish Visiting Nurse Services). Prior to joining Swedish, Dr. Hochman served as executive vice president at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia, managing the operation of five hospitals, as well as the organization’s medical group, legal and corporate compliance divisions.
"Dr. Hochman’s expertise and history of successful leadership with highly regarded medical organizations makes him a valuable new member of SonoSite’s Board of Directors, especially during this time of healthcare transition and reform," said Kevin M. Goodwin, SonoSite President and CEO. "Rod’s guidance and direction will strengthen SonoSite’s capacity to meet our long-term strategic goals for growth and point-of-care product innovation that directly address the most critical needs of healthcare. Dr. Hochman will step into the position recently vacated by Ed Fritzky, who decided not to stand for re-election. Ed served as a SonoSite board member for 11 years, since the company’s inception in 1998, and we thank him for his many years of service and excellent leadership."
Since arriving at Swedish, Dr. Hochman has been honored twice by Modern Physician magazine as one of the ’50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare.’ He has also received numerous awards and notations over the years. Dr. Hochman was a recipient of the 2001 Physician Executive Award of Excellence, sponsored by Modern Physician magazine, and under his leadership at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital he won the American Hospital Association’s prestigious Quest for Quality national award in 2002.
Dr. Hochman earned his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and his bachelor’s degree from Boston University. With a medical background in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, he also served as a Clinical Fellow in Internal Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Dartmouth Medical School.
With the appointment of Dr. Hochman, SonoSite’s Board of Directors remains at 10 members, nine of whom are independent consistent with Nasdaq listing standards and SonoSite’s corporate governance guidelines, which require that a majority of members be independent. Visit SonoSite, Inc. (www.sonosite.com) for more information.
Source: Press Release
