LANCASTER — For the second consecutive year, a board member from Antelope Valley Hospital has been named Trustee of the Year by the Association of California Healthcare Districts (ACHD).
The award was presented to Dr. Don Parazo, a member of the hospital’s board of directors, during the ACHD’s 2014 Annual Meeting in Pasadena. This is the second time Dr. Parazo has been chosen ACHD Trustee of the Year. The first was in 2006.
The prestigious Trustee of the Year award recognizes healthcare district leaders who have made notable achievements in governance, strategic planning, stakeholder relationships, leadership and finance. In 2013, Antelope Valley Hospital board member Berna Lee Mayer, MN, FNP, also was named ACHD Trustee of the Year.
“Dr. Parazo’s service to the entire Antelope Valley Healthcare District and his unwavering commitment to improving community healthcare is exceptional,” said Dennis Knox, Antelope Valley Hospital chief executive officer. “We are fortunate to have someone with his knowledge, passion and dedication helping to lead Antelope Valley Hospital.”
An accomplished leader and physician, Dr. Parazo serves on both the Antelope Valley Hospital’s board of directors as treasurer and chair of the finance committee as well as serving as immediate past chair of the ACHD board of directors. He is board certified in family medicine and specializes in geriatrics. After earning a medical degree from Texas Tech University School of Medicine, Dr. Parazo served as the chief of family practice at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station as a member of the U.S. Navy.
“California’s district hospitals play a critical role in providing care to more than four million patient visits annually and serve as a safety net to meeting the diverse healthcare needs of California’s residents,” said Dr. Parazo. “The Association of California Healthcare Districts champions this cause, which is why I am so honored to be named its Trustee of the Year for the second time.”
The ACHD represents 78 healthcare districts throughout California, operating 43 district hospitals. Healthcare districts were created after World War II to address a shortage of access to acute hospital care for many parts of the state, particularly rural areas.
[Information via press release from Antelope Valley Hospital]