Ruth Bash, MPA, FACHE

 

 

Ruth Bash has always loved hospitals.

“They’re complex and challenging, but as a healthcare worker you have this opportunity for impact – to meet people in their lives when they’re vulnerable and stressed and often sad, and to help ease their way,” says Bash, senior vice president and chief experience officer at Inspira Health. 

But what really draws her in isn’t just the work that happens inside – it’s how people feel when they walk through the doors.

“Whether you’re an employee, a patient, a visitor or a vendor, you don’t walk in as just one thing,” she says. “You’re a human being.”

That simple but powerful idea sits at the heart of Bash’s work, and it’s helping shape how Inspira thinks about culture, leadership and care.

Bash is responsible for shaping how people experience the health system at every touchpoint – not just as patients, but as employees, visitors and community members. Her role brings together patient experience, team member experience, and marketing and communications, aligning how Inspira shows up both inside and outside its walls.

“The key to enhancing the patient experience is creating an employee-first culture,” she says. “Because how employees feel at work directly shapes how patients feel in their care.”

“Ultimately, we’re looking to create an environment where everything is happening with compassion, kindness and respect. This is the place you want to be.”

At Inspira, she leads a wide-ranging effort to bring that philosophy to life. One major initiative is reimagining the ways in which Inspira recognizes and celebrates its people. 

“Working in healthcare is hard and demanding, and I strongly believe that we have to take care of our caregivers if we expect them to take care of others,” says Bash. “We’re making our reward and recognition platform more employee-centric, with the goal of highlighting the amazing things that happen across the system every single day.”

Another big focus is Inspira’s core values, ICREATE –  Innovation, Compassion, Reliability, Empathy, Access, Teamwork and Empowerment – and helping employees see how those values show up in real life. 

“What we want to do is give people concrete examples of what those values look like in action,” she says. The organization will also be surveying employees and asking, “What does living our values mean to you?” 

Leadership visibility matters, too. Bash encourages hospital leaders to visit the hospitals and outpatient offices so they can spend more time in care settings, listening and learning. 

“It’s critical for both patients and staff that leaders are seen and heard,” she says. “It helps us stay connected to what’s really happening at the point of care.”

Bash’s love of healthcare began early. 

“From the time I was a little girl, I wanted to be a physician,” she says. But in college, she realized that path wasn’t quite right. A conversation with her father introduced her to hospital administration – and an internship at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island in Providence made it, she says, “love at first sight.”

She has now spent more than 30 years in healthcare. Before coming to Inspira, Bash held senior leadership roles at RWJBarnabas Health, where she worked closely with Inspira’s now CEO Amy Mansue and COO Warren Moore. “They’ve really informed the leader I’ve become and the leader I want to be,” she says.

These days, her focus is about creating a place where people feel cared for – whether they are providing care or receiving it. 

“Ultimately, we’re looking to create an environment where everything is happening with compassion, kindness and respect,” says Bash. “This is the place you want to be.”

 

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