Former Bush appointee, current ATSU board member Herb Kuhn on guiding the future of medicine
Posted: April 3, 2025
Herb Kuhn knows a thing or two about the healthcare industry.
The current ATSU Board of Trustees member and former CEO of the Missouri Hospital Association has dedicated his entire career to healthcare, focusing on public policy and operations. Appointed by former U.S. President George W. Bush, Kuhn has held four different leadership roles with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, ultimately serving as acting administrator. Additionally, he served as corporate vice president for Premier and vice president for government relations at the American Hospital Association, and he worked on Capitol Hill for six years.
After spending 30 years in Washington, D.C., working in various government and private sector capacities, the Midwest native moved to Missouri, where he led the Missouri Hospital Association for 12 years before retiring.
When Kuhn moved to Missouri, he served on a number of boards and commissions, including the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellowship Board. It was there he met former ATSU board member, Clyde H. Evans, PhD. When Dr. Evans learned of Kuhn’s extensive background in Medicare and his service with MedPAC, he recognized Kuhn as an ideal fit for ATSU’s board.
“One thing led to another, and now I’ve finished my sixth year on the board,” Kuhn says.
Kuhn recently concluded a two-year term as board chair, a position he found extremely fulfilling. In his six year tenure, he witnessed significant growth, including the opening of the Santa Maria, California, campus and the graduation of its first class last year. He also applauds the University’s new organizational structure and views it as a way to keep the ATSU more efficient and organized.
“What I’ve found is that my professional work, which had a strong focus on improving the wellbeing of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, is quite similar to my work on the board when considering issues related to the University and the wellbeing and success of students,” he says.
In his retirement, Kuhn has embraced travel, golfing, and community volunteering.
As Kuhn enters his final three-year term, he is optimistic about the University’s future, particularly its expanding partnerships with other community partners.
“I think in the future it’s those new partnerships that are going to continue to propel ATSU forward,” he says, “and that’s what I’m most excited about.”
“In addition to an abundance of knowledge and experience in policy making, healthcare, and business, Mr. Kuhn brings extensive leadership experience to our board,” says ATSU Chancellor Craig M. Phelps, DO, ’84. “ATSU is fortunate to have him, and he is a pleasure to work with.”