By: Dr. Wayne Ruga, Founder, Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo

This year, 2025, marks the 38^th year that the Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo has been advancing the art and science of healthcare design.  What began as an idealistic and original vision, has served as the transformer for improving the quality of healthcare environments around the entire world – and, in doing so – has caused the improvement of countless lives, as well as enabling the enhanced health of communities and the more effective performance of healthcare delivery organizations.  How has this happened?

In the years prior to the beginning of the Symposium, the goal of designing healthcare facilities was to optimize their operational efficiency – it was not uncommon, then, that the experience of these environments was characterized as being as cold and as sterile as a factory –with loud, obtrusive sounds and offensive odors permeating these facilities.

YOU HAVE MADE THIS GLOBAL HEALTHCARE TRANSFORMATION HAPPEN – this profound transformation has been, and is being, produced through the work of your very own hands – and the hands of others like you…and it is YOU – your distinctive individuality, and what you contribute because of your individuality, that makes the Symposium so unique.

One of the additional unique qualities of the Symposium – and it has been from the very beginning – is that its community of attendees is a vast cross-section of health, healthcare, and design stakeholders.  This community is much like a crucible: it serves to forge like-minded, value driven, passionate individuals – like you and me – to learn, share, discuss, challenge, meet, and build lasting relationships through the engaging dynamics within this crucible.

And, not only is this rich attendee mix highly motivated to make our world be a better place, it succeeds in doing so because its composition comprises a diverse group of disciplines, job titles, and world views….spanning young and old, local and distant, this interest or that interest – we’re all in the soup, together, each wanting to take resources home with us that will enable us to be more effective in making our contributions toward building a better future for everyone.

The Symposium – which, by its definition and intention, is ‘a convivial meeting designed to stimulate conversation and the realization of new insights’, only happens each year because of the results that it produces for each one of us.  There is no association for attendees to join, there is no loyalty program that rewards continued participation – we, each, vote with our feet because of the actual benefits that we take home with us, each year, year after year.

For each individual, the nature of the resources and benefits that we take home with us is as unique as our individual selves – for some, it is business opportunities, for others, it is the learning, and for still others it is the heartfelt and lasting relationships that enables the Symposium to be much more than a 3-day event – – – it actually is a year-round community.

And, again, since its very beginnings – the Symposium has given recognition to those individuals who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to advancing the work of our community.  Although the names of the Symposium recognition programs have evolved over the years – the point is still the same – each year the Symposium shines a spotlight to acknowledge and celebrate those champions who have, in their own ways and with their own discretionary efforts, raised the bar for all of us.

Each year, the Awards Luncheon has been the place for celebrating these champions within our community, as we learn about the contributions of each award recipient and are inspired by their accomplishments.  This year’s Awards Luncheon, on Wednesday, 24 September, will mark the 15^th year since the Founder’s Award was inaugurated.

Unlike other awards, the Founder’s Award has no application process – its recipients are selected without a nomination or explicit selection process.  Simply, the Founder’s Award recognizes an individual ‘for dedication and service to the ideals of the Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo’.  Over a span of years, the continued voluntary efforts by an individual make it apparent that they have gone far beyond the extra mile, through their dedication and service.  During the past 14 years, the Founder’s Award recipients have been:

Symposium:
24, 2011 –        Jenabeth Ferguson
25, 2012 –        Tama Duffy Day, Bruce Komiske, Bruce Raber, Annette Ridenour
26, 2013 –        no Award
27, 2014 –        Orest Burdiak, Heather Fennimore
28, 2015 –        Jessica Gutierrez-Rodriguez
29, 2016 –        Evan Mann
30, 2017 –        Susan Black
31, 2018 –        Cathy Richter
32, 2019 –        Marc Suave
33, 2020 –        no Award
34, 2021 –        no Award
35, 2022 –        Frank Pitts
36, 2023 –        Sara Marberry
37, 2024 –        Kirk Hamilton
38, 2025 –        To Be Announced

In presenting the Founder’s Award, each year, and knowing of the extreme selfless generosity that its recipient has demonstrated in distinguishing themselves in order to be its recipient, I am often left speechless with awe and admiration of the individual as they join me on the stage, knowing – as I do – the many ways that the ongoing work of the Symposium has benefitted, as well as how the individual’s contributions has raised the bar for our entire Symposium community.

Probably the best metaphor to describe the contribution of a Founder’s Award recipient, is – in the words of the late John F. Kennedy, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats.’  Clearly, the contributions of a Founder’s Award recipient lifts us all, as well as enabling the Symposium to be more impactful in delivering its purpose.

Within the Symposium community, where we each vote with our feet by attending and supporting the annual event, there are countless opportunities for voluntary service.  While there is no requirement for any type of service, the gift of voluntary service is always welcomed.  If, at any time, you would like to give of yourself in support of the Symposium, I know that Jenabeth would love to hear your thoughts – and, sometime in the future, I would love to invite you to join Jenabeth and me on the Awards Luncheon stage to present you with the Founder’s Award to recognize you and your generous service.

Wayne Ruga is the founder of the Symposium.  He can be reached at: [email protected]