Chris Nicholas Appointed to American Hospital Association Regional Board
March 3, 2026
Chris Nicholas, MHA, FACHE, CEO of Renown Regional Medical Center and COO of Renown Health will serve as a Nevada state delegate to American Hospital Association (AHA) Regional Policy Board 9.
The AHA is the national nonprofit organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks and their patients and communities. AHA regional policy boards are part of the AHA’s formal governance structure. The organization uses regional recommendations to inform national health policy development. Regional policy boards meet three times annually.
The Nevada Hospital Association (NHA) appointed Nicholas to a two-year term through December 31, 2027.
Chris Nicholas brings a thoughtful, forward-looking perspective to Regional Policy Board 9,” said Sean Barry, AHA Regional Executive of region 9. “His experience leading complex health system operations and driving transformation at the local level will help inform national conversations about how hospitals can innovate, collaborate and deliver better care for the communities they serve.”
Regional Policy Board 9 includes AHA member hospitals and health systems leaders from Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington State and the Pacific islands of American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas. NHA and other state and regional associations also hold ex officio seats on the board.
The current chair of Regional Policy Board 9 is Mason Van Houweling, CEO of University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, in Las Vegas. Van Houweling also sits on the AHA Board of Trustees.
Chris’s Career
Chris Nicholas has been with Renown Health for more than a decade, most recently expanding his leadership role in December 2025 to serve as system Chief Operating Officer in addition to CEO of Renown Regional Medical Center. In this role, he oversees key components of the organization’s strategic plan, including the Transformation Management Office and Master Facility Plan, and leads the Accelerating Care Transformation (ACT) team to drive system-wide performance improvement and long-term sustainability.
He holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration management from University of Texas at Arlington and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas Tech University. He is actively involved in professional and community leadership, serving as Vice Chair and Board Member of the Nevada Hospital Association, Past President of the Nevada Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a Board Member of REMSA Health and a Board Member of the High Fives Foundation.
“I’m honored to represent Nevada on the regional board and to contribute to conversations that shape the future of healthcare,” said Chris. “Through collaboration with leaders across the region and partnership with the American Hospital Association, we can strengthen the way we serve our communities and advance the mission of Renown Health to improve health and well-being for those we care for.”
About Renown Health
Renown Health is Nevada’s largest, not-for-profit integrated academic healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 8,000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination, and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown is currently enrolling participants in a community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®. To join the Renown Health team, visit renown.org/careers.
About the American Hospital Association
The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at aha.org.
Today, Renown Health released its 2027-2029 Community Health Implementation Strategy, outlining how the health system will work alongside community partners to address the most pressing health needs identified through the 2026 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Additionally, applications are now open for Renown's 2027 grant cycle. As northern Nevada's largest independent, locally owned not-for-profit academic health system, Renown Health reinvests 100% of its profits back into programs, services and partnerships that improve community health.
"The Community Health Needs Assessment helped us understand where our community faces the greatest challenges and opportunities," said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Renown Health. "Our implementation strategy represents our commitment to action. Through collaboration, investment and measurable goals, we will continue working alongside community partners to improve health outcomes across northern Nevada. As a not-for-profit academic health system, this work is imperative to our commitment to improving our community's health and ensuring our resources are directed toward areas of greatest need.”
The three-year strategy focuses on four priority areas identified through the CHNA: mental health, access to health services, economic stability, and health risk behaviors and early detection. To support implementation of these priorities, Renown is opening applications for community funding opportunities designed to advance local solutions to identified health needs.
The 2027-2029 Community Health implementation strategy is available here.
“As Nevada's only not-for-profit academic health system, we are living up to our commitment of expanding access in order to meet the healthcare needs of our rapidly growing community,” said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President and CEO of Renown Health. “Our plan to expand access to pediatric care through the Golisano Children's Hospital focuses on bringing new and advanced pediatric care options. Additionally, it prioritizes training and recruiting the best talent to our community through our academic integration with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.”
Expanding not-for-profit mission by providing essential and advanced care to the community with primary care, urgent care, medical specialists, pharmacy, imaging and lab beginning in December 2027.
