Randall L. Rutta

CEO | National Health Council

Randall “Randy” Rutta is a senior health care executive dedicated to policy-to-practice solutions that interpret, influence, and improve federal and state health care policies to enhance public and private sector health care innovation, outcomes, and efficiency.

Rutta joined the National Health Council (NHC) in February 2021 as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer. As CEO, Rutta leads the NHC, as it enters its second century, with the goal of affecting change across the entire health system and promote increased access to affordable, high-value, sustainable health care. The NHC brings diverse organizations together to forge consensus and drive patient-centered health policy, and Rutta inspires the NHC staff to implement a Board-driven strategic plan and public policy and advocacy efforts.

Prior to joining the NHC, Rutta was the President & CEO of the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association (AARDA), a national organization dedicated to addressing the problem of autoimmunity, the major cause of more than 100 serious chronic diseases. AARDA initiated and hosts the 40-member National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient Groups and is a longtime member of the NHC. Prior to his role as President & CEO, he served as AARDA’s Federal Policy Consultant since March 2018.
Rutta served as Principal at ConnectHealth, LLC a Washington, DC-based consulting services company that he established in 2017 to provide strategic insight and support in achieving objectives across the health care eco-system.

In 2017, Rutta transitioned from the position of President and CEO at Easterseals, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to the health, well-being, and success of people with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and families. For most of his 36 years at Easterseals, he was located in Washington, DC, at the organization’s Office of Public Affairs, overseeing federal and state legislative and regulatory activities, federal grant development, and international knowledge exchange. His career experience has been in acute care, health care quality assurance, and health policy development and implementation.

Rutta currently chairs the Board of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), a national coalition of nearly 100 patient, provider, and community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of chronic disease in America and globally. He has been involved with PFCD as a partner organization leader and board member since 2007. He also is a Vice President and Secretary of American Eagle Lifecare Corporation and has been a member of its Board of Directors since 2008.

Rutta holds a Master of Arts in Politics, focusing on international health policy, from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.