Ruth Fisher Pollard
President & CEO
Ruth Fisher Pollard is an accomplished executive leader currently serving as the President and CEO of the DC Primary Care Association (DCPCA), where she spearheads transformative initiatives to align organizational objectives with community needs, enhancing the landscape of primary healthcare services in the District of Columbia. Ruth also serves as the Executive Director of the DC Connected Care Network (DC CCN), a clinically integrated network of the DCPCA and 7 Federally Qualified Health Centers providing comprehensive pediatric and adult primary care, specialty care services, chronic disease management, and various social support services at more than 45 location throughout the District.
With a robust career spanning diverse and progressive roles in the healthcare sector, Ruth's public health journey commenced at the DC Department of Health (DC Health) in the early 2000s, where she served as the Supervisory Public Health Advisor and Assistant Chief of Program Operations. Building on her longstanding commitment to community health and advocacy, Ruth's influence extended to more than a decade-long tenure at Children's National Hospital, one of the top pediatric hospitals in the nation. At Children’s, Ruth held various roles, culminating in her appointment as Executive Director of Advocacy and Community Affairs. In the last ten years, Ruth's leadership journey included a significant tenure as the Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Providence Hospital (Washington, DC), where she played a pivotal role in shaping strategic initiatives and leading the advocacy work of the organization.
Aligned with her executive role and driven by her passion for advancement through education, Ruth is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, School of Health and a member of the Capella University School of Nursing and Health Sciences Advisory Board. Ruth is an active volunteer, and along with her husband, they are engaged in empowering individuals and communities through focused philanthropy. Ruth has served in various capacities on governing and advisories boards and related affiliations, including Volunteers of America Chesapeake and Carolinas, DC Health Care Workforce Partnership, Cedar Hill Alliance for Health Equity, Police and Fire Clinic, and the Government Relations Committee of the District of Columbia Hospital Association.
Ruth is a distinguished alumna of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, holding a BA in International Relations. She earned an MBA and MS in Healthcare Administration at the University of Maryland Global Campus. Rounding her full life, Ruth partners with her husband Gary Pollard, Jr. to create business opportunities to support their local community and help build generational wealth. Ruth and Gary have a blended family of four young adult children and live in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.