CommonSpirit Health Receives AHLA 2026 Top Honors

CHICAGO – June 1, 2026 – CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation's largest nonprofit health systems, has been recognized in the American Health Law Association’s (AHLA) 2026 Top Honors, celebrating the organization’s outstanding commitment to health law education and professional development. 

"CommonSpirit is committed to fostering a deep understanding of health law and championing continuous professional development within our organization, and we are honored to receive this recognition from the American Health Law Association,” said Mitch Melfi, Esq, JD, senior executive vice president and chief legal officer at CommonSpirit Health. “Prioritizing robust legal education isn't just about compliance, it's about empowering our teams to make informed decisions that uphold ethical standards, protect our patients, and ultimately advance our mission of delivering compassionate, high-quality care to all." 

The AHLA Top Honors program recognizes firms and organizations that demonstrate exceptional investment in the health law profession, as measured by the sustained engagement of their professionals in the AHLA community. Recognition is awarded annually to organizations with 25 or more AHLA members as of March 31.

 “CommonSpirit Health demonstrates precisely the kind of sustained institutional commitment that strengthens the health law profession. By investing in their professionals’ engagement with AHLA, they advance the quality of legal counsel across the entire health care industry.” — David S. Cade, Chief Executive Officer, American Health Law Association 

The complete 2026 Top Honors list is available at americanhealthlaw.org/top-honors/2026. 

About CommonSpirit Health

Inspired by faith. Driven by innovation. Powered by humankindness. CommonSpirit Health is building a healthier future for all through its integrated health services. As one of the nation’s largest nonprofit Catholic healthcare organizations, CommonSpirit Health delivers more than 20 million patient encounters annually through more than 2,300 clinics, care sites and 138 hospital-based locations, in addition to its home-based services and virtual care offerings. CommonSpirit has more than 160,000 employees, 45,000 nurses and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice providers across 24 states and contributes more than $5 billion annually in charity care, community benefits, and unreimbursed government programs. Together with our patients, physicians, partners, and communities, we are creating a more just, equitable, and innovative healthcare delivery system. Learn more at commonspirit.org.

About AHLA

The American Health Law Association (AHLA) is the nation’s premier nonpartisan educational organization focused on legal issues in health care. Serving more than 14,000 health law professionals nationwide, AHLA advances excellence in health law practice through comprehensive educational programs, professional development opportunities, and a community of attorneys, compliance professionals, health care executives, and consultants.