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AHLA is proud to announce Lisa Diehl Vandecaveye as the 2026 recipient of the David J. Greenburg Founders Award, the highest and most prestigious honor awarded by AHLA.
Vandecaveye brings more than 35 years of experience as a chief legal officer and health care executive, with a career defined by business-minded legal guidance across governance, compliance, licensing, risk management, and leadership transitions. Her work has spanned some of the most complex institutional settings in American health care, from large academic medical centers to The Joint Commission itself.
"Lisa embodies everything the Greenburg Founders Award represents: decades of principled leadership, a genuine commitment to advancing health law, and an enduring dedication to AHLA and its members," said Mark Kopson, AHLA President. "Her career exemplifies the spirit of giving back that is at the very heart of this Association."
Vandecaveye's service to AHLA spans nearly four decades. She served on the AHLA Board of Directors from 2006 to 2012, including roles on the Executive, Finance, Membership, Program, and Nominating Committees, and as Board Secretary. She chaired the Public Interest Committee, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Task Force, and the In-House Counsel Program Planning Committee. Elected an AHLA Fellow in 2014, she later served on and ultimately chaired the Fellows Coordinating Committee from 2019 to 2022. She has also served as a mediator through AHLA's ADR Service and presented at more than 40 AHLA programs and teleconferences.
Her AHLA public interest contributions include the End of Life Video, the Conflict Management Toolkit, the Pandemic Flu Checklist, the Guide for Legal Issues in Life Limiting Conditions, and participation in the Health Care and Transgender Community Convener — work that has provided lasting resources for health law professionals and the public alike.
As Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Board Secretary of The Joint Commission, Vandecaveye shaped the organization's legal, compliance, and governance strategy at a national and international level. She successfully advocated for the inclusion of health equity standards in TJC's accreditation framework — criteria that now apply to ambulatory health centers, behavioral health organizations, critical access hospitals, and acute care hospitals, addressing health care disparities as both a quality and safety priority. Earlier in her career, she oversaw legal affairs, compliance, privacy, and accreditation for an eight-hospital system with 5,000 physicians and 33,000 employees, as well as corporate legal and risk management programs for a 330-bed hospital and trauma center.
Throughout her career, Vandecaveye has been recognized for her mentorship of younger attorneys and her ability to bridge the often-overlapping domains of health law, hospital administration, quality standards, and accreditation. Her AHLA Speaking of Health Law podcast, "Icing on the Cake: A Health Law Career is a Journey," was so well received that AHLA requested a follow-up episode.
AHLA is honored to celebrate Lisa Diehl Vandecaveye's extraordinary career and her enduring contributions to health law, the Association, and the professionals and patients whose lives her work has touched.
ABOUT THE DAVID J. GREENBURG FOUNDERS AWARD
David J. Greenburg (1925-2007) was the founder of the American Academy of American Healthcare Attorneys in 1967 and the National Health Lawyers Association in 1971. These two organizations came together to form AHLA. David was passionate about health care law and dedicated his career to increasing greater interest in the health care law field and creating a forum for like-minded experts. His tireless efforts generated a collegial community of health law professionals who help each other and the public, a tradition that AHLA continues today.
The David J. Greenburg Founders Award is awarded annually to an individual who has shown great loyalty to the Association throughout their career and has made a significant contribution to the growth and development of AHLA.
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