Ron Werft To Receive 2025 AHA Board of Trustees Award

WASHINGTON (May 1, 2025) — The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced that Ron Werft, former president and CEO and now president emeritus of Cottage Health in Santa Barbara, Calif., will be awarded its 2025 Board of Trustees Award. The Board of Trustees Award is presented to individuals or groups who have made substantial and noteworthy contributions to the work of the AHA on behalf of the hospital field. Werft will receive the award during a May 5 ceremony at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C. 

Werft spent 38 years at Cottage Health, including 25 years as president and CEO. Under his leadership, Cottage Health became an innovative regional health system and increased access to care across the Santa Barbara area. Some of these improvements include a new Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and a new Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. Also, the Cottage Center for Population Health, Cottage Health Research Institute, and Compton Center for Medical Excellence and Innovation were created, and new partnerships with area colleges were established to support nursing and other health professionals and workforce homes were constructed – all to improve health, serve community members and help ensure access to care. Werft retired from his role earlier this year.

“Throughout his impressive career, Ron has been a quiet and effective leader, building Cottage Health into an innovative regional health system dedicated to improving access to care in the communities it serves,” said Rick Pollack, AHA president and CEO. “His commitment and passion for strengthening and growing the health care workforce as Chair of AHA’s Task Force on Workforce will leave a lasting impact for future generations.”

Werft has been involved with the AHA for several decades in various roles, including as the chair of Regional Policy Board 9, chair of the Task Force on Workforce as well as numerous other task forces and committees across the Association. Werft is a past chair of the California Hospital Association and Hospital Association of Southern California.

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About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.