Steve Barnaby, chairman of the Botsford Hospital board of directors, was awarded the Walter F. Patenge Medal of Public Service by the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) on May 22.

According to a statement released by MSUCOM, Barnaby was selected for this high honor for his positive approach to complex problems, his demonstrated commitment to enhancing healthcare in his community and abroad, and his leadership of Farmington Hills-based Botsford, which is a longstanding partner of the college. 
 
At Botsford, he has been a positive change agent in healthcare governance. Barnaby has provided leadership during the development of the hospital’s top-notch cancer center and its designation as a Level II Trauma Center. The hospital is one of the few remaining independent hospitals in Southeast Michigan.  
 
Active as a healthcare advocate for more than three decades, Barnaby played a key role in introducing the concept of hospice to the state as a charter board member and chairman of Hospice of Michigan. He also serves as a trustee of Botsford Health Care, the parent organization which encompasses the hospital, Community Emergency Medical Services and the Botsford Commons Senior Community. Barnaby was the founding board chairman of Community EMS, which has grown into one of the nation’s most innovative and successful medical transport companies. 
 
Barnaby has served as a member of the American Hospital Association Leadership Development Committee and the AHA Committee on Governance. He designed protocols to aid individuals and organizations in overcoming barriers to success, working in collaboration with the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. He also served as a consultant to the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee of Vietnam to improve that nation’s healthcare. 
 
Barnaby, president of Century Communications Group, is a corporate and government mediation specialist who enables clients to integrate and activate financial imperatives with institutional missions.