Austin Ross, a lifelong mentor to hundreds of students and professionals, and his wife Annette understand the value of investing in a public health education.
Ross was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Virginia Mason Medical Center, a pioneer in the health administration field and a visionary for integrated care. He also enjoyed a second career as a professor in the Department of Health Services. When he retired from teaching in 1999, Virginia Mason and friends of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program established the Austin Ross Endowed Chair in Health Administration in his honor.
Through their bequest, the Ross family is committed to the longevity of the MHA program. They have designated funds from their estate to the endowment that will help recruit and retain distinguished faculty to prepare the next generation of health administration practitioners.
“I believe that our Health Services graduates are exceptionally well prepared to contribute to improving public health,” Ross says. “We donate to help ensure that support is in hand to help make this happen. We consider this an obligation of appreciation.”
Are you considering a bequest to SPH or have you already included SPH in your will? Contact Libby Singer at 206-221-6343 or ersinger@uw.edu. We will work with you to ensure your gift does exactly what you intend.