North Tonawanda, NY – Chris Lane, president of DeGraff Memorial Hospital in North Tonawanda, New York and Kaleida Health vice-president, has been awarded the 2003 'Up & Comers' Award from Modern Health Care magazine.

Modern Health Care magazine is a weekly health care business news publication that has been holding an annual 'Up & Comers ' Award Program to recognize rising young stars in the health care industry for 17 years. In 2003, more than 150 nominations were submitted nationwide, but only 12 winners were honored by the magazine for their significant achievements as aspiring leaders in the healthcare field.

"This is a terrific honor for Chris, DeGraff Memorial Hospital and the Kaleida Health family," said Bill McGuire, president and chief executive officer of Kaleida Health. "He is an extremely effective leader who represents the best that Kaleida offers to our patients and the communities we serve."

Chris Lane was working as a successful health care administrator in Massachusetts when he was recruited by Kaleida Health in February 2003, to become the president of DeGraff Memorial Hospital. Despite the challenges of running an acute-care hospital in a region with slow economic growth, Lane significantly raised employee morale, exceeded all major revenue targets and maintains high levels of satisfaction among patients and physicians.

At 31 years of age, Lane's career accomplishments are impressive. In 1999 he took over a troubled skilled nursing facility for the Covenant Health Systems in Lexington, Massachusetts. Under his leadership, revenues increased 30% in six months and its census increased 50% within that same year. Overall, it took Lane less than two years to turn the facility around from one that provided poor care to one that provided quality care. Lane achieved similar success when he accepted the challenges of an Alzheimer's facility that had previously been fined for four consecutive years of substandard care. Less than a year after Lane's arrival, the facility had passed its required Massachusetts' state survey with only one minor deficiency.

Lane's success has been based on his ability to enhance the revenue side of the health care equation without making drastic cuts in personnel or equipment. He also possesses tremendous energy and enthusiasm that has been infectious to the DeGraff staff, as evidenced by the fact that the hospital has the highest patient satisfaction ratings in the entire Kaleida Health System.

Chris Lane graduated from Colgate University in 1994 with a BA in Political Science and is scheduled to receive a Masters Degree in Health Administration in June 2004.

Kaleida Health, the 39th largest health system in the US, is the largest health care provider in the Buffalo/Niagara Region. More than one million patients are seen annually at Buffalo General Hospital, The Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital, DeGraff Memorial Hospital and numerous ambulatory sites.

The system also includes long-term care facilities, as well as visiting nurse and home care services.