PeaceHealth Oregon’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kim Ruscher, is resigning from her position, effective May 25.
In emails obtained by KLCC, Ruscher told PeaceHealth medical staff she will be taking personal leave and does not intend to return to a leadership role at RiverBend medical center in Springfield.
Ruscher joined PeaceHealth in 2013 as a pediatric surgeon. In 2024, she was appointed to leadership by former chief hospital executive Dr. Jim McGovern, who has now permanently left his role.
Ruscher has been at the forefront of recent controversies at PeaceHealth, including a failed attempt to outsource emergency department physicians with Georgia-based ApolloMD.
In February, the medical staff of three PeaceHealth hospitals voted "no confidence" in the leadership of Ruscher and McGovern.
In an email to caregivers, interim chief executive Heather Wall thanked Ruscher for 13 years of service.
