In Memory of Duane Dauner

Sharing Sad News About our Friend and Colleague, Duane Dauner

It is with heavy hearts that the ACHD board shares the sad news of the death of C. Duane Dauner, a friend and colleague to many in health care and most recently the long-term President/CEO of the California Hospital Association (CHA). Duane tragically lost his life in an automobile accident on July 13.

ACHD board chair, Howard Salmon, has known Duane for decades. “Duane Dauner was a tremendous asset to the state of California, and the country. His leadership on health care policy over the decades was second to none. I met Duane in the late seventies when I was an executive at St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, and he, the new President of the Missouri Hospital Association. He was one of the most respected, most knowledgeable healthcare professionals I have had the pleasure of knowing. On behalf of the ACHD board, I would like to extend my deep condolences to Duane’s wife, Diane, and his family during this challenging time.”

Duane led the CHA from 1985 to 2017, when he retired from the association. He remained active and current in all things health care and was a resource and sounding board for countless individuals and organizations in the field.

Cathy Martin, CEO of ACHD, remembers fondly working for Duane at the California Hospital Association (CHA). “Duane was a brilliant, charismatic leader. It was a true personal and professional privilege to serve California hospitals under his leadership during my tenure at CHA. I have never met someone so dedicated to service in the health care field. I most enjoyed his skillful, witty, and entertaining ways of storytelling. If you were fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of one of his many stories, often about his meetings and dealings with fascinating personalities, you were sure to hang on every word and carry that story with you, and Duane always had a lesson in every story he told.”

Duane will be remembered and missed by many, including the ACHD board, members, and staff, and we extend our sincere sympathy to the Dauner family today and in the weeks to come.