Linda Fishman, M.B.A.

Linda Fishman leads the AHA in developing public policy positions and serves as a member of the association's executive management team.  She plays a central role in developing and implementing the association's advocacy agenda and educating policymakers and hospitals about the implication that legislation and regulations have on hospitals and the patients they serve.

Since 2006, Fishman has served as AHA's vice president for legislative affairs where she manages the daily activities of the association's legislative team.  Before joining the AHA, Fishman served as the director of the Office of Legislation at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) where she managed nearly 45 employees in representing the agency's policy positions on Medicare and Medicaid to Congress.

Well known in health care policy circles, Fishman also served in staff leadership positions for the Senate Finance and the House Ways and Means committees, and as a senior advisor to the CMS Administrator.  Fishman was a key contributor to three major pieces of Medicare legislation:  the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 when she was chief health aide to Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA), the Balanced Budget Refinement Act (BBRA) of 1999 and the Medicare, Medicaid, and S-CHIP Benefits and Improvement and Protection Act (BIPA) of 2000 when she served as professional staff to then-Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA).

Earlier, Fishman was a senior advisor at Hogan & Hartson, L.L.P.  From 1987 to 1999, Fishman held several positions with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).  A Cleveland-native, Fishman holds a bachelors degree and masters of business administration from the University of Washington and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.