Remembering Barbara Ruhlman
Patti DePompei, RN, MSN, President, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and MacDonald Women’s Hospital is saddened to share the passing of devoted University Hospitals benefactor, volunteer leader and friend, Barbara Ruhlman.
As a high school student at Laurel School, Barbara began her nearly eight decades of service with the Auxiliary as a volunteer in the baby photo program at UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital. Her vast volunteer leadership includes roles on the Discover the Difference Campaign Cabinet, the UH Development Committee and the Department of Orthopaedics Leadership Council. She was the inaugural chair of the UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital Leadership Council and, for several years, served as the co-chair of UH’s annual Florida Outreach events.
Barbara was a UH Lifetime Trustee, member of the Diamond Legacy Society and a Visionary Samuel Mather Society Member having given over $10 million to UH. In 2007, Barbara established the Barbara Peterson Ruhlman Chair in Orthopaedics and provided additional funds to benefit the construction of the 11th floor conference center in Lerner Tower. The Barbara Peterson Ruhlman Conference Center has been the setting for employee events, medical conferences and UH Board of Director meetings. Barbara further expanded her philanthropic support in 2013 by supporting the expansion of maternity services at UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital. The Barbara Peterson Ruhlman Women & Newborn Center was named in her honor.
We are incredibly grateful for Barbara and all of her years of continuous support and for visionary gifts to University Hospitals.
To honor Barbara's legacy, make a gift to the Barbara Peterson Ruhlman Women & Newborn Center at University Hospitals. To learn more about Barbara, we invite you to watch the video below.