Marvin Ronning

Marvin Ronning
Born(1961-12-18)December 18, 1961
DiedNovember 7, 2022(2022-11-07) (aged 60)
EducationMaster of Education, Harvard University
Alma materPacific Lutheran University
Years active2010-2022
EmployerRhode Island Free Clinic
OrganizationSave the Bay

Marvin Ronning (December 18, 1961 – November 7, 2022) was a community advocate and the director of the Rhode Island Free Clinic (RIFC).[1][2][3]

Advocacy[edit]

Education[edit]

Ronning was a guest lecturer and mentor at several universities. He served as an advisor to students at Brown University School of Public Health and many other community organizations.[3][4][5]

Ronning was on the board of, and frequently donated to, the youth arts program, New Urban Arts.[6] He was the board chair of The Learning Community school in Central Falls.[7][8] He was a supporter of the nonprofit, Big Picture Learning, which works to increase equity and innovation in public education.[2][9]

Environment[edit]

Before joining the Rhode Island Free Clinic, Ronning worked as the director of project planning and administration at Save the Bay. He helped make local waterfronts and environmental programming more accessible to urban communities in Rhode Island through his contributions to the construction of the Bay Center on Fields Point.[10][11][12][2]

Rhode Island Free Clinic[edit]

Rhode Island Free Clinic was founded in 1999. It is run by community partners, volunteers, and supporters. The clinic serves thousands of patients and conducts around 11,000 appointments a year. It provides more than 25 different specialties and services to adults who can't afford treatment or have no insurance.[13][14][15]

For twelve years, Ronning was a senior administrator at the RIFC.[16][17] Ronning transformed RIFC into a training site for potential health care professionals,[18] created a network of academic partnerships with every higher education institution in the state,[16] built a dental clinic, and served as Director of the Northern RI Area Health Education Center.[2][3] He partnered with Arts Connection Rhode Island to incorporate art in the clinic, and stated the art represented the beauty and dignity of the overall facility.[19] Ronning was RIFC’s longest tenured employee.[20]

Death[edit]

Ronning died suddenly on November 7, 2022.[21] Before he died, he focused greatly on succession planning for the Rhode Island Free Clinic, educating staff on management practices and creating a shared network of files that provided guidance and infrastructure.[22] An endowed fund to honor his legacy was created through the Rhode Island Foundation.[2][23]

Further reading[edit]

From the Middle Class to the Working Poor, Millions in U.S. Count on Free Clinics

Providence Monthly: New Urban Arts Keeps Inspiring

The Building of The Save The Bay Center

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Marvin G. Ronning". The Providence Journal. 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  2. ^ a b c d e Fenton, Josh. "Community Advocate Marvin Gene Ronning Dies at 60". GoLocalProv. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  3. ^ a b c Health (2022-11-16). "In Memoriam: Marvin Ronning". Brown Public Health. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  4. ^ AmeriCorps VISTA at RIFC Highlighting Marvin Ronning, archived from the original on 2023-06-18, retrieved 2023-03-28
  5. ^ "Community Preceptorship – CCRI". Community College of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  6. ^ "Former Board Members". New Urban Arts. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  7. ^ "Dear Friends of Marvin". The Learning Community. 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  8. ^ "Get Smart!". The Learning Community. Archived from the original on 2023-06-19. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  9. ^ "Innovation | Big Picture Learning". New BPL. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  10. ^ "Rhode Island Residents See New Landscape From Brownsfield Redevelopment". Boston University. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  11. ^ Kuffner, Alex. "Save the Bay unveils new public pier in Providence's Fields Point". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  12. ^ Vaughn, Susan (2000-04-02). "She's Seeking Work of a Different Nature". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  13. ^ "URI nurse practitioner students learn by doing at RI Free Clinic". University of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  14. ^ "R.I. groups provide healthcare to underserved communities". The Brown Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  15. ^ Andreu, Patricia. "'Everyone deserves health care'". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  16. ^ a b "Brown med school students elevate health care for Rhode Island's underserved and underinsured". Association of American Universities. 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18.
  17. ^ "RIC Responds to Shortage of Mental Health Professionals in R.I." Rhode Island College. 11 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  18. ^ Community Partnerships | Brown Public Health, archived from the original on 2023-06-18, retrieved 2023-03-28
  19. ^ Siliezar, Juan. "A gift that transforms". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  20. ^ "2022 Year in Review" (PDF). Rhode Island Free Clinic. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-06-18.
  21. ^ Fenton, Josh. "Those We Lost in Rhode Island and Across the World in 2022". GoLocalProv. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  22. ^ "Dear RIFC Community". RI Free Clinic. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  23. ^ "Marvin Ronning Fund". RI Foundation. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2023-03-29.