ST. LOUIS - Mercy's Ron Trulove, a reimbursement and government relations consultant, has been honored with the Missouri Hospital Association’s highest award, the Distinguished Service Award. The award honors Trulove’s influence as a statewide and national leader in hospital finance, with emphasis on Missouri Medicaid policy.
“Ron’s contribution to state and federal policy related to hospital finance is difficult to overstate,” said Jon D. Doolittle, MHA president and CEO. “His wisdom and leadership have been essential to maintaining the state’s Federal Reimbursement Allowance program, which underpins Medicaid payments in Missouri. His broad vision, coupled with his technical expertise, secured and safeguarded Medicaid coverage for millions of Missourians throughout the decades.”
Trulove is a nationally recognized expert on health care finance. Throughout 57 years of service in hospital finance, he has worked within the system to support the sustainability of hospitals and care delivered within the communities they serve.
“Ron sees a way to connect his gifts, through working with MHA, helping to enact legislation that helps people,” said Cheryl Matejka, Mercy senior vice president and chief financial officer. “While he is — financially, and from a governmental relations perspective — very gifted, in the end, Ron sees it as a way to care for people.”
Trulove’s contribution to the stability of the Missouri Medicaid program has been profound. The FRA supports a significant share of the state’s investments in Medicaid. Since the FRA Policy Committee was established at MHA in 2001, Trulove has been a member, and he has chaired the committee since 2015. Under his leadership, the FRA has delivered lasting value to the state, stabilized Medicaid reimbursement for hospitals and supported coverage for vulnerable Missourians. His wisdom has allowed the state’s hospitals to navigate numerous finance-related challenges, and his leadership has been essential throughout managed care expansion in Missouri.
