Steve Rusckowski honored for contributions to humanism in healthcare by Arnold P. Gold Foundation

Quest Diagnostics Chairman, CEO, and President Steve Rusckowski was honored for his “exceptional contributions to humanism in healthcare by the prestigious Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which is dedicated to elevating the importance of compassion and empathy in healthcare.

Steve's vision sparked the creation in 2017 of the Gold Corporate Council (GCC), a group of leading healthcare companies that have committed to adopt humanistic practices to impact change across the broader healthcare community. In addition to Quest Diagnostics, which is a founding member, the council also includes Becton Dickinson, Henry Schein, Inc., IBM Watson Health, CVS Health, and Siemens Healthineers.

Steve and his wife Deb O’Hara-Rusckowski, RN, MBA, MTS, were among 4 honorees to receive the 2022 National Humanism in Medicine Medal. 

Deb was recognized for her contributions to humanism in healthcare in America and around the globe. A critical care nurse by training, Deb spent more than 30 years in healthcare and the private sector. Her current focus is on human trafficking and the global refugee crisis. She is a Delegate and Special Advisor to the Ambassador on Human Trafficking for the Order of Malta’s Mission at the United Nations.

Also honored at the gala event were:

Michele Harper, MD, an emergency room physician who has written about the troubling and destructive gap many patients face in accessing equitable, humanistic care and the challenges healthcare professionals of color face in the current culture of medicine.

Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD, an internist at Bellevue Hospital, America’s oldest public hospital, who founded and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Bellevue Literary Review, the first literary journal ever to arise from a medical setting.

The Annual Gala draws leaders of medical and nursing education, of hospitals and health systems, community health centers, and of global healthcare companies, as well as humanistic doctors, nurses, and students, Gold Humanism Honor Society members, Gold grantees and awardees, and passionate supporters of humanism in healthcare.

In his acceptance speech Steve described Quest’s connection to the Gold Foundation:

“We incorporated the Gold Foundation “Tell Me More” curriculum to bring humanity to the patient at the point of care,” Steve said. “The patient journey is clearly affected by the physician and nurse as they engage with the patient. But all of us responsible for providing healthcare in that patient journey have an important role to play to bring humanity to healthcare at each of those many touch points.”

More than 30 Quest colleagues were on hand to support the event.

“I loved it,” said George Harris, a patient service representative from Brooklyn, NY who attended the event. “It was such a special night and I felt so overwhelmed with joy meeting new faces and seeing the familiar ones. A few of those speeches really inspired me and offered an opportunity to reflect.”

Click here to learn more about the Gold Foundation.