Arsenial Runion spent three years at Swope Health soaking in
as much knowledge as he could. Now, Runion is the Chief Executive Officer at East
Liberty Family Health Care Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and says he couldn’t have done it without applying
all that he learned at Swope Health.
Introduction to healthcare
Runion had revenue cycle and other experience in the public sector where he crossed paths with Swope Health President and CEO Jeron Ravin, J.D. In 2020, Runion left a position where he was traveling six days a week to become Swope Health’s Director of Patient Experience. While
serving in the role, he worked closely with Swope Health
President and CEO Jeron Ravin, J.D.
“Jeron was around a year in at Swope Health at the time, and
there was an opportunity to join the health center under his leadership,”
Runion said. “Jeron had big visions to change the dynamics of the landscape of
healthcare, which is reflective of the work Swope Health has done during his
tenure. He was intentional about improving the overall patient experience within
the organization, and that was a good fit for me.”
This was the start of something new for Runion, who became
quickly acclimated to life at an FQHC. In his role, he had many
responsibilities, such as overseeing grants and managing front-line operations,
along with managing the Clinic Support Representatives, Federal Navigators, and
the Outreach and Enrollment team. Due to his contributions, Swope Health gained
additional exposure that helped pull in more patients.
“I was able to do some interesting things through some marketing
campaigns I ran, in collaboration with Jeron and Swope Health’s marketing team,”
Runion said. “We placed various types of advertising in the KCI airport, on billboards
throughout the city, on radio, and we were featured in The New York Times
for our efforts in enrolling clients in Medicaid.”
Making moves at Swope Health
Runion is passionate about ensuring that the underserved
receive the health care that they deserve, which made Swope Health an ideal
starting ground for his career. During his tenure, his eyes were opened to seeing
the bigger picture. He used every day as a learning experience.
“I was able to successfully enhance programs here and help
with the development and growth of this organization overall. My mentorship by
Jeron and experience in various areas helped me understand that if you serve
well where you’ve been assigned, doors will always open for you,” he said.
Impacting new territory
Over time, an opportunity at another FQHC became available. In
2023, Runion took his talents to East Liberty Family Health Care Center (ELFHCC),
a faith-based community health center founded in 1982, where he currently
serves as CEO. ELFHCC offers similar services to Swope Health, and under
Runion’s leadership, continues to grow. Currently, the FQHC has four locations,
one of which was added in the first year of Runion’s new administration.
“I was brought in to help turn the organization around. They
needed a change financially, ethically, morally, and within the community,”
Runion said. “We forged some great partnerships with Duquesne University and
other universities. We also opened a new site last October.”
ELFHCC is a member of the Pennsylvania Association of
Community Health Centers, which is the largest primary care network in
Pennsylvania and the nation. Coming from the largest FQHC in the Kansas City region,
Runion continues to impact large quantities of patients. While he is
consistently learning how to improve his FQHC, he still credits Swope Health
for his knowledge in the field.
“Exposure to operations and other experiences at Swope
Health helped prepare me for the President and CEO position at East Liberty. Swope
Health is the master training ground; it is a different beast, especially when
compared to other health centers across the country. It’s super progressive,”
he said. “The complexities of this FQHC are unmatched by any others in the
country. If you can work and build leadership skills at Swope Health, you’ll be
successful anywhere you go.”
