COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Ruse, president emeritus of the Blanchard Valley Health Association in Findlay, Ohio, and one of the state’s most respected healthcare administrators, has been named to the OHIC Board of Directors, OHIC President and CEO Raymond R. Mazzotta announced today.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040708/CLTH004 )
Ruse retired as president of the Blanchard Valley Health Association in 2001 after serving 36 years as its president and CEO. During his tenure at Blanchard Valley, it grew from a single hospital in Findlay to acute care facilities in Findlay and Bluffton and 25 percent ownership of a Lima hospital.
“It’s no secret that the entire medical liability industry is in the midst of a tenuous period. It is more critical than ever before to place the right people on our Board of Directors,” said Mazzotta. “We need thought provoking leaders who can help direct us though this difficult period in our industry’s history. Bill Ruse has vast experience in the medical field. He has an innate understanding both the operating room and the board room.”
It is Ruse’s second term on the OHIC Board. He was one of OHIC’s original members when the company was formed in March 1978. He served on the Board until its sale to Healthcare Underwriters Mutual in 1997.
Ruse said he looks forward to a second term on the OHIC Board, noting the company plays a vital role in the state’s healthcare system.
“When we are hurt, we turn to doctors and hospitals to make us well,” Ruse said. “In turn, doctors and hospitals look to OHIC to provide the security they need to continue their quest to deliver babies and to restore our health. It is a pleasure to again work with OHIC, whose ties to Ohio have helped our state’s healthcare system grow and develop to nationally recognized leadership.”
Among his various board activities, Ruse is a member of the Ohio Patient Safety Institute, the Ohio Research Foundation of the Ohio Hospital Association, and the Ohio Northern University Pharmacy Advisory Board. Last year, Ruse was appointed by Governor Taft to the Ohio Workforce Policy Board.
Ruse has long been a distinguished member of the Ohio healthcare community and the Findlay-area civic and business community. His awards and recognition have been considerable. They include:
- A new 65,000-square foot building at Blanchard Valley’s Findlay campus will be named the “William E. Ruse Center.” - 2000 recipient of the Donald Newkirk Award as the top healthcare executive in Ohio. - 1999 Sam Walton Business Leader of the Year. - Honorary doctorates degrees in healthcare management from the University of Findlay (1997) and in public service from Ohio Northern University (2003). - Ohio Northern University Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997. - Xavier University Outstanding Alumni Award in 1996.
Ruse earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Ohio Northern University. He also has an MBA from Xavier University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence in Law from the University of Toledo.
The OHIC Insurance Company was founded in 1978 as the Ohio Hospital Insurance Company. The company’s mission was to supply Ohio hospitals with affordable medical liability insurance. The company later became the OHIC Insurance Company and is now a subsidiary of the Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company of New York City. OHIC now supplies medical liability insurance to physicians and hospitals in Ohio.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040708/CLTH004PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comOHIC Insurance Company
CONTACT: Robin Yocum of Yocum Communications, +1-614-879-6891, or cell,+1-614-378-3286, for OHIC Insurance Company
Web site: http://www.ohic.com/
