Dr. Elizabeth Ruen is a strategic and mission-driven professional with over two decades of cross-sector experience spanning philanthropy, healthcare, and the nonprofit world. As a program officer for Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program, she leads a diverse and growing portfolio of grants focused on workforce development, cancer care, education, health policy, research, and conservation. Elizabeth plays a key role in guiding program development and fostering impactful partnerships that advance equitable access to healthcare.
Her approach is grounded in research, systems thinking, and collaboration. She has led initiatives that have transformed rural cancer care delivery, expanded the use of simulation education, and demonstrated the effectiveness of a crisis telehealth model in an underserved region. Elizabeth is also a thought partner, contributing articles and presentations, elevating grantee voices, and amplifying rural health priorities.
Elizabeth holds a Doctorate in Public Health Policy, Master of Public Health, and a Master of Science in Administration. She also holds an executive certificate in philanthropy from Georgetown University and is a National Rural Health Association Rural Health Policy Fellow.