Chris Nicholas, MHA, FACHE, CEO of Renown Regional Medical Center and COO of Renown Health will serve as a Nevada state delegate to American Hospital Association (AHA) Regional Policy Board 9.
The AHA is the national nonprofit organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks and their patients and communities. AHA regional policy boards are part of the AHA’s formal governance structure. The organization uses regional recommendations to inform national health policy development. Regional policy boards meet three times annually.
The Nevada Hospital Association (NHA) appointed Nicholas to a two-year term through December 31, 2027.
Chris Nicholas brings a thoughtful, forward-looking perspective to Regional Policy Board 9,” said Sean Barry, AHA Regional Executive of region 9. “His experience leading complex health system operations and driving transformation at the local level will help inform national conversations about how hospitals can innovate, collaborate and deliver better care for the communities they serve.”
Regional Policy Board 9 includes AHA member hospitals and health systems leaders from Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington State and the Pacific islands of American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas. NHA and other state and regional associations also hold ex officio seats on the board.
The current chair of Regional Policy Board 9 is Mason Van Houweling, CEO of University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, in Las Vegas. Van Houweling also sits on the AHA Board of Trustees.
Chris’s Career
Chris Nicholas has been with Renown Health for more than a decade, most recently expanding his leadership role in December 2025 to serve as system Chief Operating Officer in addition to CEO of Renown Regional Medical Center. In this role, he oversees key components of the organization’s strategic plan, including the Transformation Management Office and Master Facility Plan, and leads the Accelerating Care Transformation (ACT) team to drive system-wide performance improvement and long-term sustainability.
He holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration management from University of Texas at Arlington and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas Tech University. He is actively involved in professional and community leadership, serving as Vice Chair and Board Member of the Nevada Hospital Association, Past President of the Nevada Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a Board Member of REMSA Health and a Board Member of the High Fives Foundation.
“I’m honored to represent Nevada on the regional board and to contribute to conversations that shape the future of healthcare,” said Chris. “Through collaboration with leaders across the region and partnership with the American Hospital Association, we can strengthen the way we serve our communities and advance the mission of Renown Health to improve health and well-being for those we care for.”
About Renown Health
Renown Health is Nevada’s largest, not-for-profit integrated academic healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 8,000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination, and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown is currently enrolling participants in a community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®. To join the Renown Health team, visit renown.org/careers.
About the American Hospital Association
The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at aha.org.
Renown Health Distributes More Than $1 Million to Community Health Agencies
As Reno’s only locally owned, not-for-profit, integrated academic health care network, Renown Health reinvests every dollar earned back into the community — in expertise, technology, treatments, training and research — to improve health and prevent illness.
Today, Renown Health’s senior leadership team, along with the chair and members of the Board of Directors, representing more than 8,000 physicians and employees, gathered to celebrate and support 65 local not-for-profit partners working to address the area’s most critical health care needs and build a healthier Nevada.
“For more than 160 years, Renown Health has worked to improve the health of our community,” said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Renown Health. “As an essential community asset, and in affiliation with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, we appreciate the trust placed in us and take this responsibility very seriously. Our commitment has grown and evolved through careful consideration of our community’s most pressing health needs. By partnering with other mission-driven nonprofit organizations, we are working to address these issues, which include expanding access to care, enhancing affordability and ensuring that every person can live their healthiest and best life.”
He added, “Improving the health and wellness of an entire population is not easy. It is a huge task. We know that change is constant, and to take on the challenges ahead, we must work together now, with those in the field, to ensure a bright and healthy future for our kids, grandkids and future generations.”
Sandeep Randhawa Named by Becker's Healthcare as One of Nation's Chief People Officers to Know
Renown Health is proud to announce that Sandeep Randhawa, MSA, has been named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s national list of “Chief People Officer to Know for 2026.” This recognition highlights 140 chief human resources officers and chief people officers who are instrumental in shaping the workforce strategies that power hospitals and health systems.
