The MHA announced six winners of its Special Recognition Award during the Annual Membership Meeting June 26, recognizing them for extensive contributions to healthcare. Each of the winners has uniquely influenced healthcare in Michigan. The winners include T. Anthony Denton, senior vice president and chief environmental, social and governance officer, Michigan Medicine; U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor); Rep. Phil Green (Watertown Township); Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn); Nancy McKeague, executive vice president of operations, MHA; and Ruthanne Sudderth, senior vice president and chief strategy officer, MHA.
Denton is a former chair of the MHA Board of Trustees and commissioner of The Joint Commission. Denton has served in many leadership capacities during his 44 years with Michigan Medicine, including chief operating officer and acting CEO. In his current role, he is the senior executive responsible for master facility planning to advance patient access to care and guides Michigan Medicine’s environmental sustainability and carbon neutrality efforts. In addition, Denton facilitates a collaborative multi-sector community health model to improve health outcomes through enhanced community presence and impact initiatives and leads assessments to inform appropriate modification of governance models across the system. Before serving in health care administration, Denton began his career in human resources. His tenure on the MHA Board of Trustees ended in 2024 after 10 years of service.
Rep. Dingell has been a healthcare champion throughout her time in Congress, currently serving as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where she has led on critical issues, including affordable and accessible healthcare. Since joining Congress in 2015, Dingell has been a strong advocate for improving healthcare access for all populations. She has also been a supporter of rural emergency hospitals, the 340B program and Medicaid funding.
Since being elected to state office in 2018, Rep. Green has been an advocate for state funding that ensures Michigan residents have
access to the care they need. He introduced the interstate nurse licensure compact during the 2023-24 legislative session and helped defeat legislation that would have instituted harmful government-mandated staffing ratios. Before that, he leveraged his role on the House Appropriations Committee to provide additional funding for maternal health, Medicaid reimbursements and behavioral health. He was also one of the key leaders who secured $300 million in funding to support the recruitment, retention and training of healthcare workers in 2022 and 2023. Green currently chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Health, serves as the vice chair on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Medicaid and Behavioral Health, and sits on the House Appropriations Committee.
Rep. Farhat has been a strong advocate for healthcare and public health legislation in the state House of Representatives since being elected in 2022. He has a strong academic background in public health, having earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. As a legislator, Farhat has been a staunch advocate for the 340B program, as he was the lead sponsor of state-level protections for 340B covered hospitals, including testifying in support of the 340B program in the House Insurance Committee. His groundwork led to a successful vote in favor of 340B protections in the Michigan Senate this past December. Rep. Farhat also has been a champion for access to affordable prescription medications and better maternal health outcomes. He passed legislation in 2023 to ensure fair reimbursement rates for pharmacy operators under the state’s Medicaid plan.
Nancy McKeague is retiring July 4 from her role as Chief Operating Officer for the MHA. A former member of legislative staff in both the Michigan House and Senate, she has more than 30 years of experience in government relations and non-profit association management. Specializing in labor, insurance, employment law, employee benefits and organizational development, she has been active in legislative and regulatory issues at both the state and federal levels and frequently testified as a subject matter specialist. McKeague has been a tremendous asset for hospitals and the MHA in navigating labor and workforce challenges.
Ruthanne Sudderth is the Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at the MHA. In this role, she has provided strategic planning and oversight of the MHA Service Corporation, overseen communications and marketing functions for all of MHA, led vaccine work and managed the association’s workforce development efforts. Ruthanne also led the association’s community giving efforts, overseeing the distribution of all external sponsorship dollars going to support health and wellness efforts around the state. In addition, Sudderth served as the president of the Upper Peninsula Hospital Council. Sudderth has played a key role in modernizing the association’s approach to fully embrace social media and podcasting platforms, building impactful coalitions and effectively amplifying the voice of hospitals to elected officials and key stakeholders and growing the MHA’s Endorsed Business Partner program. Sudderth is moving on to a new opportunity outside of the MHA, with her last day being July 4.