Charles F. Barbera, MD, MBA, MPH, FACEP has been named to the Gift of Life Donor Program Medical Advisory and Policy Board (MAPB). The one-year term began on January 1, 2024.
Gift of Life Donor Program is one of the nation's leading organ procurement organizations (OPO). The program has coordinated more donors and organs for transplant than any other U.S. OPO since the inception of the national donation system in 1988. “We welcome Dr. Charles Barbera to our Medical Advisory Board and look forward to benefitting from his deep knowledge of the healthcare system as we work together with hospital partners to advance an even stronger culture of donation within our region,” said Gift of Life President & CEO Rick Hasz.
Each day, 17 people in the United States die while waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. That is why Reading Hospital and Tower Health partner with Gift of Life Donor Program to increase awareness of organ and tissue donation as part of National Donate Life Month each April. Gift of Life encourages individuals to register online to become organ, tissue, and cornea donors, which is quick and easy. Last year Tower Health hospitals were honored by The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) for championing organ, eye, and tissue donation within their hospitals and communities. Tower Health Hospitals received third place.
“It is an honor to be selected to serve on the Medical Advisory and Policy Board,” said Dr. Barbera. “This is an opportunity for me to help make meaningful changes for patients, their families, and healthcare providers. It is a privilege to be part of this prestigious organization that is a long-standing partner of our health system.”
Dr. Barbera is the immediate past Chair of the Pennsylvania Trauma System Foundation Board, and member of the Board of Trustees at Alvernia University, Threshold Rehabilitation Services, and the Berks County Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council. He also previously served as president of the Pennsylvania College of Emergency Physicians and the Berks County Medical Society, and on the boards of the Autism Society of Berks County, the American Heart Association, and The Children's Home of Reading.
He received his Doctor of Medicine from Temple University School of Medicine, his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts from LaSalle University, his Master’s in Business Administration from Alvernia University, and his Master’s in Public Health from George Washington University.
About Reading Hospital
Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 697-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, Emergency Department, Level I Trauma Center and Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With more than 1,000 physicians, specialists, and advanced practice providers across 49 locations, Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across service lines. It is listed as one of America's 50 Best Hospitals for three consecutive years. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.