An estimated 200 to 250 physicians, employees, and administrators of Loma Linda University Health crowded into the Slate-Peterson rooms of the Coleman Pavilion on Wednesday, June 18, to say farewell to Ruthita J. Fike, MA, the charismatic and transformational CEO of Loma Linda University Medical Center since 2004.
There was a long line of people waiting to speak with Fike, share memories, and offer their best wishes for the future. To call the event emotional would be a powerful understatement.
Several individuals choked up as Fike was applauded for the depth of her commitment and the strength of the personal relationships she established. When she took the podium herself, she broke into tears, telling members of the audience how much she loved them, how talented, intelligent, and committed they are, and what a life-changing experience it has been to work with each of them for the past 10 years.
On balance, however, the event was far more joyous than sorrowful. In recalling his reaction when Fike invited him to serve as vice president of mission and culture at the Medical Center, Gerald. R. Winslow, PhD, evoked laughter when he said, “I told her I had been to the opera and that’s culture.”
Jill Pollock, MS, interim administrator at University Hospital, presented Fike a large trophy with an abstracted image of hands lifted up, called her “a truly inspirational leader,” and reminisced about working together on numerous projects.
Steve Mohr, CFO of LLUMC-Murrieta, said his affiliation with Fike had been responsible for his wanting to get up and go to work every day—“well, most every day,” he joked—and promised to fly out and spend time with Fike and her husband, Duane, at their home in Colorado.
Lyndon Edwards, MBA, MHS, vice president and administrator at LLU Medical Center East Campus and LLU Heart and Surgical Hospital, called his first impressions of Fike “love at first sight,” to which she immediately responded, “Same here!” He gave her a PossAbilities jacket to wear when the weather turns cold in Colorado.
Jesse Mock, MA, vice president for patient engagement, spoke about the transformational elements in Fike’s leadership, and recalled many of her accomplishments in inspiring members of the staff to work toward the goal of helping the Medical Center fulfill its mission in the community.
Richard Rawson, MBA, senior vice president for strategic planning, and administrator of LLUMC-Murrieta, elaborated on Fike’s leadership in reaching out to the community. He called her a transformative and spiritual leader whose actions let it be known that God is guiding Loma Linda.
At the end of their brief presentations, each of the speakers received a warm hug from Fike. The depth of her appreciation for each of them was apparent.
Fike says that for the immediate future, she has promised her husband she will spend some time unwinding at their Colorado home, and then she will begin the process of discovering where God wants her to go next.
“I am so grateful for the 10 years I have been a part of the Loma Linda family,” she concluded. “I leave you in God’s care.”