Penn appoints new executive director of Student Health and Counseling

Patricia Ruiz, Wellness at Penn's newly appointed executive director of Student Health and Counseling, spoke with The Daily Pennsylvanian about how she will approach her role leading the University's student-facing clinical team. 

Ruiz began her appointment on March 1, having previously served as director of the Student Health Center at Montclair State University for six years. In an interview with the DP, Ruiz reflected on her experience in higher education health settings and provided insight into the structure of the University's wellness services.

Ruiz is a certified advanced practice nurse with over 20 years of experience with student health at different universities. In her new position, she oversees the medical care and behavioral health services for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. 

Ruiz said that Wellness at Penn is built on two pillars: Student Health and Counseling, and Public Health and Wellbeing. 

“The work that I do is so intrinsically related to the work that the Public Health and Wellbeing area is doing because together is really how we best support all of the students’ needs,” she said. 

Ruiz told the DP that she will work most closely with the four directors within the area of Student Health and Counseling. The directors help inform her of the needs of students who utilize their services and which campus partners to collaborate with in order to meet those needs. 

“[The directors] have their finger on the pulse of what’s happening with students, not only within the walls of our offices but through the programming that they do on campus,” Ruiz said.

In addition to the four directors, she highlighted that she will be working indirectly with over 100 people with the goal of supporting student health and wellness. 

Having begun her term as executive director on March 1, Ruiz said that she is still in the process of gathering information about the University's campus and meeting with both University leadership and students to determine what initiatives she will work on.

“I’m most excited about having a part in students’ success here at Penn. We support students so they can be the best students they can be and leave here as a really productive member of our society,” Ruiz said.

As director of the Student Health Center at Montclair, Ruiz was responsible for directing clinical care, regulatory compliance, and fiscal responsibilities, as well as overseeing the public health of students. She served as Montclair’s chief medical officer during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she described as a challenging time.

“In retrospect, I realized how many skills I learned and how much better I got at things that I already knew how to do,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Fairfield University, a master's degree from Columbia University, a doctor of nursing practice from Rutgers University, and a post-master's certificate from the University.