2022 - Richard Vincent, President & CEO, Osteopathic Heritage Foundation

Vincent began serving the osteopathic profession as president and CEO of Doctors Hospital and went on to serve as president and CEO of Osteopathic Heritage Foundations until he retired. He has been a tireless supporter of osteopathic medical education and research on a local, state and national level for a long time. He helped establish the CORE clinical teaching network at Heritage College, which has since become the Clinical Education Network. Under his leadership, the Ohio Osteopathic Heritage Foundations pursued its goals of improving community health and promoting the osteopathic philosophy.

2022 - Charles F. Kettering, Medical Philanthropist and Inventor, Kettering Foundation

Kettering’s commitment as a medical philanthropist and inventor led to important contributions to health care in Ohio and around the world. His book of patents contains more than 300 separate applications, including those that transformed the retail and auto industries. As the founder of the Kettering Foundation, he applied his conviction that collaborative teamwork is the most effective method for developing new ideas. He contributed to the establishment of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on the premise that American industrial research methods could be applied in cancer research.

2021 - The 251,000 Ohio Hospital Caregivers

More than a quarter million Ohio hospital caregivers provided steadfast physical, emotional and spiritual care for COVID-19 patients and their families as well as for patients who required timely care throughout the pandemic. Caregivers displayed passionate commitment by providing exceptional care to Ohioans in all levels of care but in particular emergency departments, COVID-19 designated units, critical care areas and rehabilitation units. Caregivers worked tirelessly to set up mass testing and vaccination centers and sourced vital equipment from around the globe. Innovators in Ohio hospitals modeled the virus spread to prepare for Ohio’s hot spots, and others conducted trials for vaccines and COVID therapeutics. Throughout all of their efforts, these caregivers were resilient while providing high-quality and compassionate care for the needs of all Ohioans. Heroes then, now and always.

2018 - Sr. Judith Ann Karam, CSA, FACHE, Congregational Leader, Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine; Chair, CSA Health System Ministries, Sisters of Charity Health System

As the congregational leader of Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and immediate past president and CEO of Sisters of Charity Health System, Sr. Judith Ann Karam helped bring mission-driven, quality health care to the underserved and the Ohio health care community. A tireless advocate for preserving human dignity and providing compassionate, quality care, Sr. Judith Ann embodied the altruistic values of her religious congregation and brought attention to the most critical needs. Her integrity, devotion and hard work made a lasting impact on the health care industry in Ohio.

2017 - Toby Cosgrove, MD, President & CEO, Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Cosgrove’s leadership in Ohio, nationally and internationally transformed clinical best practices, advanced health and wellness and improved the patient experience. As president and CEO, Dr. Cosgrove led Cleveland Clinic to expand its worldwide reach and reputation for clinical excellence, innovation, medical education and research. A cardiac surgeon, innovator and author, Dr. Cosgrove has earned an international reputation for expertise in all areas of cardiac surgery, filed 30 patents for the development of medical and clinical products and published nearly 450 journal articles.

2017 - Gov. John Kasich, Governor, State of Ohio

Ohio’s 69th governor was an advocate for health and prosperity. In the face of much political pressure, Gov. Kasich courageously expanded access to health care coverage for more than 700,000 Ohioans. Under his leadership, Ohio earned national recognition for its innovative health care policies and Ohio’s first executive-level Medicaid agency and Office of Health Transformation were established to modernize Medicaid and improve the state’s overall health system performance. Gov. Kasich demonstrated a deep commitment to combatting the opioid epidemic, curbing smoking, promoting infant vitality and improving the state’s behavioral health system.

2016 - Richard Doan, Administrator and CEO, Barnesville Hospital

One of Ohio’s longest serving hospital CEOs, Doan was administrator and chief executive of Barnesville Hospital. Under his direction, Barnesville Hospital joined an elite group of the nation’s most improved hospitals and was named one of the Top 100 Critical Access hospitals in the country. He was a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives and recipient of the Senior Level Executives Regents Award and the Administrator of the Year Award presented by the Ohio State Office of Rural Health.

2015 - Eli Crew, MD, Superintendent, Miami Valley Hospital; President, OHA Board of Trustees

A founding board member, Dr. Crew was elected the first president of OHA in 1915 at the inaugural board meeting in Sandusky. He was superintendent of Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton and one of the strongest Ohio hospital advocates of his time.

2015 - Melvin Creeley, President & CEO, East Liverpool City Hospital; OHA Board of Trustees Chair

Creeley excelled in numerous executive and administrative roles during his 36-year health care career. He chaired the OHA Board of Trustees and OHA Environmental Leadership Council during his 21-year tenure as president and chief executive officer of East Liverpool City Hospital. OHA’s top environmental award is named in his honor and recognizes hospitals for promoting best practices in environmental stewardship.

2015 - Donald Newkirk, President & CEO, Ohio Hospital Association

The longest serving OHA president and CEO from 1962-1989, Newkirk’s distinguished career included serving in various leadership positions at numerous hospitals across Ohio prior to his work at OHA. After his retirement, he served as consultant and Executive in Residence with the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health Graduate Program in Health Services Management and Policy.

2015 - William Ruse, President & CEO, Blanchard Valley Health Association; OHA Board of Trustees Chair

An Ohio health care and Findlay-area civic and business communities leader for many years, Ruse served as the Blanchard Valley Health Association president and chief executive officer for 36 years before retiring in 2001. He contributed great leadership during his time as a trustee, officer and chair of the OHA Board and as a member of the Ohio Patient Safety Institute and OHA’s Research and Education Foundation boards.