Dr. West is the Chairman and Professor in the Department of Health Administration and Human Resources, University of Scranton. He holds a Professor in Public Health appointment at Trnava University, Slovak Republic and a Visiting Professor appointment at the University of Matej Bel and St. Elizabeth University in the Slovak Republic. He was appointed Affiliated Faculty at Tbilisi State Medical University, Department of Public Health and Health Management, Tbilisi, Georgia and a Visiting Professor at the University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic. He has been appointed as a Research Professor to the Center for International Health Services Research and Policy at Washington State University; and has an Affiliated Faculty appointment in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at the University of Scranton. He serves on the Scientific Council for the School of Tropical Medicine at St. Elizabeth University in the Slovak Republic. He was recently appointed Adjunct Faculty with the Department of Medicine, The Commonwealth Medical College and Affiliate Faculty, School of Public Health, University of Georgia. In 2011 he was awarded an Honorary Professor of Public Health at St. Elizabeth University College of Health and Social Sciences. In 2007, Dr. West received an Honorary Doctorate of Public Health (Dr.h.c) from St. Elizabeth University in Health & Social Sciences for his international leadership.
He is President and Chief Executive Officer of HTC Consulting Group, Inc. Dr. West received his master and doctoral degree’s from the Pennsylvania State University. He is board certified in healthcare management by the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dr. West has been a CEO for a hospital, medical practice and several health care businesses. In addition to 45 years of health care management, consulting and leadership experience, Dr. West maintains Fellowship with the American College of Healthcare Executives, American College of Medical Practice Executives, American College of Health Care Administrators and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. His professional memberships also include the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, Eastern Pennsylvania Health Executive Network, National Rehabilitation Association, European Academy of Management, Medical Group Management Association, American Public Health Association, Academy of Management, and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Serving as a member of numerous national boards and committees, Dr. West has authored over 300 articles dealing with various aspects of health care administration, leadership and management. He serves on 31 editorial committees. He is an accomplished and well-known speaker at International, and National conferences, and has over 585 presentations to health care audiences. Dr. West has developed and chaired several international conferences, workshops and symposia in CEE countries. He has conducted 30 study abroad tours for University MHA graduate students and faculty to Brazil, Mexico, Slovakia, Georgia, Haiti and China. Dr. West has served as an international consultant to projects in Slovakia, Mexico and Georgia over the last several years. He has been successful in securing international grants and developing international projects. He has chaired 12 international accreditation site visits in Europe. He is a dedicated and hardworking teacher, consultant and scholar who has achieved success and been recognized for his accomplishments in international healthcare projects and activities.
Dr. West served on the Council of Regents, the legislative body of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Eastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Executive Network. Other Board memberships include the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, Medical Advisory Board of the International Brain Trauma Association, the Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education IRB, the Behavioral Health Research Institute, Penn State University Graduate School Alumni Society, Penn State Alumni Association, and is past chair of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Northeastern Pennsylvania. Recently he was appointed to the Board of Directors of Moses Taylor Hospital (CHS) an Affiliate of Commonwealth Health. In 2012 he was asked to serve as Chairman of the Accreditation Council for the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and was appointed in 2013 to the CAHME Executive Committee and Strategic Issues Committee. He is recognized as in International Fellow at the University of Scranton and serves on several University committees. He is Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Global Health and Rehabilitation at the University of Scranton. He served as Chair of the Global Healthcare Management Forum from 2009-2013. Dr. West currently serves as Past Chair of the Board of Directors for the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and serves on the Governance, Strategic Issues Nominating and Executive Committees of CAHME.
Recent honors and awards include the AAMA Richard A. Harley Diplomate Award for Leadership; Leadership and Service Award, Pennsylvania State University, College of Education; Provost’s Award for Excellence in Advancing Global Learning; Provost Award for Excellence in University Service and Learning; Distinguished Service Award, University of Scranton, the J.A. Panuska, S.J., College of Professional Studies, for demonstration of exemplary leadership ability and for generous and outstanding service; the ACHE Regents Senior Management Award; AERA Outstanding Research Award; Gold Medal of Trnava University for Excellence in International Cooperation; and a Recognition Award from the American International Health Alliance. In 2007 Dr. West received an Honorary Doctorate (Dr.h.c.) of Public Health from St. Elizabeth University in Health & Social Sciences for his international leadership. In 2010, he received a Medal of Merit from the University of Scranton and was welcomed into the Order Pro Deo at the University. In June 2013, Dr. West was recognized with an Exemplary Leadership Award from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration; Global Healthcare Faculty Forum and in 2017 he was recognized for his years of service to the Commission on Accreditation of Health Management Education (CAHME) as Chair of the Accreditation Council and Chair of the Board of Directors.
From 1995 to 1999, Professor West served as the US partnership coordinator for the Slovakia/Scranton Health Management Education Partnership, an effort requiring extensive involvement with universities, physicians and health care professionals in Slovakia. While in Slovakia he worked with health management educational institutions and government agencies to create an in-country capacity to educate managers for the health sector reform. He is co-editor and co-founder of the Journal of Health Management and Public Health, Slovakia’s first professional journal for health management and public health topics. Professor West has also published several joint research papers on health care sector transformation, accreditation and quality assurance in health management education in Slovakia, and has presented with his Slovak counterparts at numerous international scientific and educational conferences. He has been involved in developing scholarly activities with researchers and universities in the Slovak Republic, Georgia, Mexico and Colombia. Recent efforts include developing a joint MHA degree at St. Elizabeth University in Bratislava. The Slovak-Scranton HME partnership has continued for 25 years. Study abroad courses are conducted each year for MHA students and faculty to Slovakia.
In 1999 Dr. West received an AIHA/USAID grant to develop a health management education partnership in the Republic of Georgia with the National Health Management Center and the University of Scranton. He is co-editor and co-founder of the Journal of Health Sciences Management and Public Health, Georgia’s first professional journal in healthcare management. Efforts in Georgia focus on health management education, building an infrastructure of trained managers, development of three satellite training centers, a center for health care consultancy, conducting management training workshops, curriculum design for post graduate education and writing health management texts to be used by universities in Georgia. In 2007 Dr. West received another AIHA/USAID health management education grant to develop graduate level concentrations in Hospital Administration and Health Insurance Management at the Caucasus School of Business and University of Georgia. Again in 2008, Dr. West was awarded another USAID/AIHA grant to develop an MHA degree program of study at the University of Georgia, along with short courses for healthcare executives and managers. The Georgia-Scranton HME partnership has continued for 19 years.
Current international projects focus on Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Georgia, Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Efforts have also been directed at developing and organizing the Center for Global Health and Rehabilitation at the University of Scranton. He is Past-Chair of the Global Development Committee for the Graduate School Alumni Society at the Pennsylvania State University. He is the Past-Chairman of the Global Health Management Faculty Forum for the Association of University Programs in Health Administration. Dr. West, Dr. Ramirez and Dr. Filerman have completed two International Health Management Education studies for the Commission on Accreditation for Health Management Education. Dr. West has a strong interest in developing international accreditation efforts throughout the global community. Each year he conducts student study tours to various countries around the world as part of the MHA graduate program. He continues to serve as an International Fellow at the University of Scranton. Under his leadership the graduate MHA program developed the first CAHME accredited MHA online degree program in the USA. He continues serving on the Faculty Senate and Faculty Affairs Council at the University of Scranton. He has been the Chief Negotiator for three contract negotiations at the University of Scranton. Dr. West has served as Chairman of the Department of Health Administration & Human Resources since 2002. The Department has five programs of study (3 graduate and 2 undergraduate).