COLUMBUS – In recognition of National Hospital Week, May 7-13, the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) announced 57 nominees for the 2023 Health Care Worker of the Year Award, and the honorees of its annual leadership awards to be recognized at the annual OHA Recognition Dinner, during the association’s annual meeting June 12-14 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton.

“Ohio hospitals are cornerstones of the communities they serve, providing high-quality, compassionate care delivered by more than 430,000 employees,” said Mike Abrams, OHA president and CEO. “The leadership and community contributions of the honorees and nominees for our statewide awards are truly exemplary. We are honored to celebrate their important accomplishments and service in health care.”

This year’s leadership award honorees are:

• Bruce White (Mount Vernon), CEO, Knox Community Hospital, will receive OHA’s Donald R. Newkirk Award. The award is named for Don Newkirk, who led OHA for 27 years and recognizes an individual who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the health care profession in Ohio.

• Mandy Goble (Bellefontaine), FACHE, retired president and CEO, Mary Rutan Health, will receive OHA’s James R. Castle Distinguished Service Award, which honors an individual whose professional attainments embody qualities of an outstanding leader or mentor for service to the health care community. This award is named for OHA’s president and CEO for 23 years, from 1989 through 2011.
• Ohio Business Roundtable (Columbus - 43215) will receive OHA’s Dr. Eli Crew Community Service Excellence Award. This award recognizes an individual’s or organization’s support of the health care industry. The award is named in honor of Dr. Eli R. Crew, former superintendent of Dayton’s Miami Valley Hospital and OHA’s first president. In 1914, he led Ohio hospital administrators to an organizational meeting at Cedar Point, Sandusky where OHA was founded.

About Bruce White

White has been at Knox Community Hospital for 27 years in the positions of director of information services, assistant administrator and, for the past 17 years, as the organization’s chief executive officer. He holds a Master of Business Administration with certification in healthcare management from The University of Dallas; a Master of Business in operational excellence in healthcare with Six Sigma Lean Green Belt certification from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business; and a Bachelor of Science in computer science and mathematics from Youngstown State University. 

White is in his third year on the American Hospital Association (AHA) Board, currently serving as chair for AHA Regional Policy Board Region 5, chair of the Investment Committee, member of the Operations Committee and AHAPAC and as board liaison to the Committee for Behavioral Health.

In 2018, he served as board chair for the Ohio Hospital Association. He also currently serves as chair of the OHA Institute for Health Innovation Board of Directors. He is also serving on the Knox County Community Health Center Board and the Knox County Area Development Foundation Board. His experience includes community service with multiple organizations, including past chair, Mental Health & Recovery Board for Licking and Knox Counties; Kenyon College Board of Trustees; board chairperson 2016-2018, Ohio River Basin ACO; past president, past secretary, Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon; past chair, United Way of Knox County; Knox County Chamber of Commerce; The Salvation Army of Mount Vernon and Mount Vernon YMCA.

In 2015, he was named Hospital CEO of the Year by Quorum Health Resources, and in 2017, Knox Community Hospital was named Quorum’s Top Performing Hospital over $100 million in net revenue.