Dr. Ron Anderson, the longtime leader of Parkland Health & Hospital System who was remembered for his efforts to expand healthcare access to underserved communities, died Thursday from cancer. He was 68.
Anderson was named the Dallas system's president and CEO in 1982 and served in that role for 29 years. He previously was medical director of Parkland's emergency department and outpatient clinic.
His first foray into the public health spotlight came in the mid-1980s, when he spoke out against the practice of “patient dumping”—or transferring medically unstable, uninsured patients from private to public hospitals. Those efforts led to Texas banning the practice in 1986.
Anderson made five appearances on Modern Healthcare's 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare ranking. In 2005, he also topped Modern Healthcare's 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives ranking.
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