Health Alliance Wins Governor´s Disability Hiring "Best Practices Award"

Cincinnati, OH - Governor Ted Strickland and his Governor's Council on People with Disabilities have awarded Ohio's "Non-Profit Best Practices Award" to the Health Alliance for "providing exceptional employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities." The Health Alliance is the only non-profit organization in Ohio to receive the award.

The cornerstone of the Health Alliance's unique and progressive hiring initiative, which was established under the leadership of Health Alliance President & CEO Ken Hanover, is a public-private partnership with the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission. Through this partnership and shared vision, the Health Alliance works closely with the Commission to recruit, evaluate and retain qualified individuals with disabilities. This allows the Health Alliance to match job applicants to positions that best fit their skill sets. Through the program, the Health Alliance has thus far hired 70 associates with disabilities. Said Ohio Governor Ted Strickland:

"I applaud the Health Alliance for its leadership on this incredibly important issue, and thank Ken Hanover and his management team for embracing people with disabilities and welcoming them into their workforce. I encourage more Ohio employers to emulate the Health Alliance and adopt its recruiting philosophy for individuals with disabilities."

Representatives from the Governor's Council will visit the Health Alliance the week of July 28 to meet with the program's managers and to meet with Health Alliance associates who were hired through the initiative. Said Ken Hanover:

"Our partnership with the State of Ohio has been incredibly successful, and we are very honored that the Governor and his Council on People with Disabilities have recognized the Health Alliance for its leadership in providing people with disabilities every possible opportunity to succeed and excel in the workplace. Our commitment to Cincinnati is to build a diverse workforce that supports our mission of building a healthy community one individual at a time."

The Health Alliance, which includes University Hospital, The Jewish Hospital, Fort Hamilton Hospital, Drake Center, West Chester Medical Center, Alliance Primary Care and Greater Cincinnati Associated Physicians, has always taken an innovative approach in its hiring practices, and in 2005, was awarded "Employer of the Year" by both the state and national chapters of the Association for Persons in Supported Employment. The Health Alliance also invests heavily in the community: in 2006, the Health Alliance and its member hospitals provided $130 million in free medical care to Cincinnati's neediest citizens. The Health Alliance also spent $23 million with Cincinnati-based businesses that are women or minority-owned. To read more about the Health Alliance's hospitals and services, visit us at www.health-alliance.com.