George Couch, chief executive officer of Wetzel County Hospital

George Couch, chief executive officer of Wetzel County Hospital, New Martinsville, achieved recognition as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders.

Only 7,500 healthcare executives in the world 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. Fellow status represents achievement of the highest recognized standard of hospital administration professional development.

Couch received his B.A. from Bethany College and his Master of Business Administration, from West Virginia University. He was the owner and administrator of New Martinsville Health Care Center and served as Administrator for Post Acute Care at Wheeling Hospital from 2002 until 2005. Since 2005 he has been the CEO of Wetzel County Hospital.

Couch also serves on the Board of Trustees of the West Virginia Hospital Association; Wheeling Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors; Health Right Board of Directors; and is a member and Past President of the Rotary Club of New Martinsville. He is a licensed nursing home administrator and was named West Virginia Nursing Home Administrator of the Year and was also formerly New Martinsville Citizen of the Year.

“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.”

Wetzel County Hospital is a licensed and accredited, 58-bed facility, offering comprehensive acute care inpatient, outpatient services, emergency department, and transitional care unit.

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

The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of more than 30,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems, and other healthcare organizations.

ACHE is known for its prestigious FACHE credential, signifying board certification in healthcare management, and its educational programs including the annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws more than 4,000 participants each year.

ACHE’s established network of more than 80 chapters provides access to networking, education, and career development at the local level.

In addition, ACHE is known for its magazine, Healthcare Executive, and its journals, the Journal of Healthcare Management and Frontiers of Health Services Management, as well as groundbreaking research, 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 including textbooks for use in college and university courses.

Through such efforts, ACHE works toward its goal of being the premier professional society for healthcare executives dedicated to improving healthcare delivery.