Ron Werft is president and CEO of Cottage Health, a not-for-profit multi-hospital system serving patients on California’s Central Coast. Before joining Cottage Health, Werft was associate director at the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics. He is past chair of the California Hospital Association and the Hospital Association of Southern California and currently serves on the board of the American Hospital Association. He also serves on the boards of Santa Barbara Partners in Education, CenCal Health, World Telehealth Initiative, and the Fighting Back Steering Committee for the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. Werft received the 2013 California Hospital Association Award of Merit for outstanding contribution to the California health care community and the 2015 Walker-Sullivan Fellowship presented by California Health Foundation and Trust. (The American Hospital Association is a 2022 Festival Underwriter)
Previously
The United States is experiencing a critical shortage of healthcare workers—with labor market data showing a 3.2 million worker deficit by 2026. The growing crisis is causing...