TranZed Alliance names Paul Rao to board

The TranZed Alliance, parent company of The Children’s Guild and Monarch Academy, named Dr. Paul Rao to its board. Rao brings over 40 years of experience in health care leadership and speech-language pathology.

Rao is a rehabilitation health care consultant and retired after 28 years in 2014 as vice president of inpatient operations and compliance at Medstar National Rehabilitation Hospital in the District of Columbia. Previously, he held positions including executive director, privacy officer and corporate compliance officer at Medstar National Rehabilitation Hospital.

Rao has presented more than 100 lectures in 35 states, Canada, Brazil and New Zealand as well as published pieces covering clinical and administrative topics. He has served as a member of expert panels for organizations including Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, The Rand Corporation, The Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and The Joint Commission.

Among his honors, he was recognized in a Washington, D.C., Council Resolution for his distinguished career and received a Certificate of Distinction and Recognition by Mayor Vincent Gray. Rao is a fellow with ASHA and the American College of Healthcare Executives and presented the John W. Goldschmidt Lecture on Excellence in Rehabilitation and The Susan Carter Lectureship at Medstar National Rehabilitation Hospital. He also received lifetime achievement awards from Loyola University Maryland and the District of Columbia Speech and Hearing Association.

Rao served as president of ASHA in 2011 and chaired boards for the association. He is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the National Association of Healthcare Quality, the National Aphasia Association and Stroke Comeback Inc. He also served as president of the Maryland Speech and Hearing Association and chair of the Maryland Board of Examiners for Speech Pathologists and Audiologists. Rao currently serves on the University of Maryland’s Board of Visitors.

In addition, Rao has received academic appointments from the University of Maryland, Gallaudet University and Loyola University Maryland and is a member of the SLP Advisory Board for the Rush University Medical Center. He holds a doctorate in hearing and speech science from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in speech pathology from Catholic University and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Vincent College.