FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe Martin, Communications Director
717-232-6787 or
Harrisburg, PA - July 25, 2005 - The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) elected new officers to the Council’s Executive Committee at its bimonthly meeting on July 14. Catherine A. "Kitty" Gallagher, President of the Lehigh Valley Business Conference on Health Care, was named as chairperson, replacing Bernard K. Murray, PA Federation of Teachers (retired) who served in this position for the past two years. Ms. Gallagher has served on the Council since 1999 as a business community representative.
"It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Kitty Gallagher as our newly elected chairperson," said Marc P. Volavka, Executive Director of PHC4. "As a dedicated Council member for the past six years and vice-chairperson for the last two, she has already demonstrated her valuable expertise and leadership. I also want to thank our outgoing chairperson, Bernie Murray, for his role in furthering Pennsylvania as a leader in the public reporting of health care performance data."
Additionally, PHC4 elected a new vice-chairperson and treasurer. Thomas F. Duzak , Director of Pensions and Benefits of the United Steelworkers Union was elected to serve as vice-chairperson, and Randall N. DiPalo, Financial Secretary for the Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 520, was elected as treasurer. Mr. Duzak has served on the Council since 1998 as an organized labor representative. Mr. DiPalo, a Council member since 1996, also represents organized labor.
PHC4’s 25-member Council consists of individuals who represent health care purchasers, providers, insurers, consumers and state government officials. The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council is an independent state agency charged with collecting, analyzing and reporting information that can be used to make more informed decisions, thereby improving the quality and restraining the cost of health care in Pennsylvania. Additional information about the Council and its Executive Committee can be found on the PHC4’s Web site at http://www.phc4.org.