Ruth Portacci serves as the Vice President of Joint Ventures & Chief Integration Officer for Ascension Saint Thomas where she serves as the lead for joint venture relationships, ensuring strategic alignment, clinical integration, performance optimization and growth.
Ruth joined Ascension Saint Thomas in 2018 as Vice President of Strategy, bringing years of healthcare strategy leadership experience. As the Vice President of Strategy, Ruth led the Ministry in growing our system of care by securing several key Certificate of Need approvals, including our rehabilitation hospital, Westlawn neighborhood hospital, ASCs, Rutherford open heart program, and initial denial and two appeals of a competing hospital. Ruth has led the Ministry’s Dynamic Planning process and accountability structure, as well as the recruitment and restructuring of our business development team and function. She has also worked on recovery efforts in Michigan with the national strategy team as well as working with a multidisciplinary team at Ascension to standardize and optimize continuity of care. In 2022, she was recognized nationally by the American Hospital Association Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development for lifetime achievement and leadership.
Ruth earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communications from The University of Texas at El Paso and her master’s in communications from New Mexico State University.