Sara (Sally) T. Gammon, MBA, FACHE

President/CEO

Sara (Sally) Gammon is a high-energy senior executive with a unique combination of demonstrated skills as a CEO and CFO in the healthcare and human services industries and a track record of organizational leadership in diversified hospital health-care systems.  She has a proven reputation for combining creative, visionary leadership and pragmatic business acumen within rapidly changing environments.

Sally began her professional career as a physical therapist for the State of Connecticut and at Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center in Manchester, New Hampshire, progressing to the Director of Physical Therapy.  She was appointed Administrator of The Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center of Southern New Hampshire and then as Vice President of Fiscal Affairs at Easter Seal Society/Goodwill Industries of New Hampshire/Vermont, Inc., achieving the position of CFO and Vice President of Fiscal Affairs at this organization.  She was appointed Division Director of Oncology, Rehabilitation and Orthopedics at Health Northeast/Elliot Hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire.  In 1990, she was named President and CEO of The Rehabilitation Center of Fairfield County in Bridgeport, Connecticut, an affiliate of Yale-New Haven Health System.  She has held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, a multi-divisional post-acute healthcare system in Allentown, Pennsylvania, since 1997.

As President and CEO of Good Shepherd, Sally provides proven leadership and strategic vision to Good Shepherd. She strives to carry out the mission that Good Shepherd’s founders, the Raker family, began more than 100 years ago – providing independence and hope for people with disabilities. Sally manages a complex system of post-acute rehabilitation services that include inpatient programs, outpatient services, research and technology delivery and long-term care. Under Sally’s leadership, Good Shepherd has more than tripled in size and budget and has expanded its scope of services. In 1997, the organization consisted of a rehabilitation hospital and long-term care facility in Allentown and a Work Services division. With Sally’s vision, Good Shepherd has expanded to include a licensed long-term acute care hospital for critically ill patients. Good Shepherd has additional inpatient rehabilitation facilities at Easton Hospital, Pocono Medical Center, and Wayne Memorial Hospital in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Good Shepherd also operates a long-term care facility for the severely disabled in Bethlehem. Growth also occurred with Good Shepherd’s outpatient centers, expanding from 4 to 23 locations in 8 counties. In July 2009, Good Shepherd opened the 16-bed Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Unit in Bethlehem, the only inpatient rehabilitation unit in the area for children.

In 1997, Good Shepherd served nearly 10,000 individuals. In fiscal year 2012 (July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012), Good Shepherd served more than 61,000 people. While growing at this extraordinary rate, Good Shepherd maintained its “A” bond rating. In partnership with the Good Shepherd Board of Trustees, Sally initiated in June of 2000 a $50-million capital campaign, which achieved its goal 18 months ahead of schedule.

Sally led a multi-year campus transformation of Good Shepherd’s south Allentown campus that was dedicated in 2006 and encompasses the high technology apartment building, a new parking deck, healing gardens and the Good Shepherd Health & Technology Center. The 64,000-square-foot Good Shepherd Health & Technology Center houses The Harry C. Trexler Center for Rehabilitation Technology, outpatient orthopedic therapy and neuro-rehabilitation, a large warm-water pool for aqua therapy, the pediatrics program, a radiology suite and The Spine & Joint Center.

Sally provided strategic leadership in the creation of Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a joint venture between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine. Good Shepherd is the majority owner of the joint venture, which became operational in July 2008 and provides inpatient and outpatient post-acute care for UPHS. Sally serves as chair of the Good Shepherd Penn Partners Board of Trustees.

Sally received a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from Rivier College in Nashua, New Hampshire. She also is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), with recertification complete in 2012.

Sally received the following awards and recognition: the 2013 Lehigh Valley Business Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award; the 2012 Annual Leadership Excellence Award, American Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMPRA); the 2010 Women of Influence Award from Power of Women and Lehigh Valley Magazine; President’s Proclamation from Allentown City Council on January 7, 2008; the 2007 Spotlight Award from the Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal; the 2006 Lehigh Valley Women of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts-Great Valley Council; the 2005 Spirit of Leonardo Award from the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Da Vinci Discovery Center of Science and Technology; the 2005 Pennsylvania Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (PARF) Rehabilitation Leadership Award; and the 2003 Spirit of Wellness Award from the Arthritis Foundation, Lehigh Valley Chapter.  In May of 2008, Sally received an honorary degree from Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pennsylvania, and in May of 2009, she received an honorary degree from DeSales University, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Sally was the Chair of the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s 2010 Community Campaign. Sally serves on the following volunteer boards: DeSales University, Board of Trustees; Lafayette Ambassador Bank Board of Directors; Tyler & Company Northeast Regional Leadership Advisory Board. She previously served on the Muhlenberg College Board of Associates; RJ Fellows Program Board at Muhlenberg College; Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley Board of Associates; and the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board. Sally is a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Executive Network.