PeaceHealth Oregon disclosed that Dr. Kim Ruscher, who stepped down as chief medical officer in May after a staff vote of no confidence, has returned to the system in a new capacity. Effective this month, she will serve as enterprise vice president of physician clinical services, overseeing the development of the organization’s Carry Forward transfer center.
New responsibilities
In an internal email dated August 10, executive vice president and chief transformation and integration officer Mark Korth explained that Dr. Ruscher’s primary focus will be to lead the next phase of the Carry Forward transfer center. The center is intended to act as a centralized hub—still under discussion as either a virtual platform or a physical location—to streamline the acceptance of patient transfers from outlying areas while preserving access to essential services throughout the network’s communities.
Korth described the initiative as part of PeaceHealth’s systemwide performance‑improvement effort, saying, “Carry Forward touches nearly every part of the organization. How do we improve patient care, delivery, and efficiencies? Transfer center work is a key component of that effort.”
Regional impact
The role will involve coordinating transfers into facilities such as RiverBend Hospital in Eugene, as well as sites in Bellingham, Washington, and Vancouver, Washington. By improving care coordination—defined as the collaboration between outside medical partners and hospital staff—PeaceHealth hopes to enhance the handoff from ambulance to emergency department and other critical points of care.
Earlier this year, RiverBend leadership, including former chief hospital executive Dr. Jim McGovern, sought to end a long‑standing contract with Eugene Emergency Physicians. The proposal sparked a vote by medical staff in February, with 345‑25 against the leadership of both McGovern and Dr. Ruscher, followed by appeals to state lawmakers and a federal court case over the legality of the incoming provider.
PeaceHealth reversed its position on May 6, reinstating the Eugene Emergency Physicians contract, and Dr. Ruscher stepped down as CMO on May 21, citing a personal leave to care for an ill family member. In her announcement, she noted she was “partnering with PeaceHealth to find a meaningful role.”
What the new role means for Dr. Ruscher
According to Korth, Dr. Ruscher’s new office will be based out of Vancouver, Washington, and she will not have direct supervisory authority over physicians. She will not make hiring or firing decisions, and will work with multidisciplinary teams at a system level rather than overseeing individual departments.
“This is very much moved to a system role at broader organizational constructs, working with multidisciplinary teams without direct oversight,” Korth said. “It gives Kim an opportunity to evolve, learn from the past, and apply her talents in a new setting.”
Dr. Ruscher updated her LinkedIn profile in early August to reflect the new title and also highlighted her background as a pediatric surgeon. In a recent LinkedIn post she wrote, “I have also switched from pediatric surgery to leadership and had my heavy bag moment this year. From the pain I have emerged stronger.”
Community response
Local physicians and community members have watched the leadership changes closely, given the earlier turmoil surrounding the transfer center proposal and the contract dispute. Korth acknowledged that PeaceHealth “has needed to learn a lot from recent events in Oregon” and that feedback from staff, leaders, and the community has been incorporated into the new role.
The appointment signals PeaceHealth’s intent to move forward with its performance‑improvement agenda while addressing concerns raised by medical staff and the public.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
