Women in Business: Ruth Skidmore, Northern California Medical Associates, Santa Rosa

Ruth Skidmore

CEO, Northern California Medical Associates

1701 Fourth St., Ste. 100, Santa Rosa 95404; 707-573-6925; ncmahealth.com

Residence: Santa Rosa

Professional background: Surgical ICU R.N., Rush Presbyterian–St. Luke’s Medical Center; health care consultant, Medicus Systems, Inc.; associate administrator, Women’s Health Consultants Medical Group; graduate program course director, Rush University; CEO, Northern California Medical Associates Medical Group.

Education: B.S.N., Loyola University; M.S., Rush University.

Staff: 60 physicians and nurse practitioners, 250 employees.

Tell us about yourself and your company: Northern California Medical Associates is a physician-owned multispecialty practice covering Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties. NCMA provides centralized business office, accounting, marketing and planning services to its physicians.

In my 22 years here, we have expanded from six physicians to 60, $4 million in revenue to $52 million, four satellite offices to 26, and 35 employees in the operational infrastructure to 250.

Words that best describe you: Loyal, confident, hard-working, thoughtful, funny.

What is a major accomplishment in the past year or so?: Continued group expansion.

What achievement are you most proud of in your career?: Maintaining a pattern of continued professional growth and challenge by building a strong medical group that values clinical excellence.

What is your biggest challenge today?: Working in health care in Sonoma County - keeping everyone off the cliff

How do you think your profession will change in the next five years?: Continued evolution toward intraspecialty- and primary care–coordinated comprehensive care involving in- and outpatient providers.

As a successful female professional, what have been the biggest obstacles you faced and how did you overcome them?: Long work hours and balancing work and home to maintain some quality of life. Try to compartmentalize, take time off, make sure you love what you do and the people you work with.

What advice would you give to a young woman entering your profession or the work world today?: Network, work hard, ask for what you need, provide back-up for your opinions, demonstrate what you can do.

Current reading: Wall Street Journal

Favorite hobbies: Playing with and loving up my German shepherd dog, Hanna, and travel.

Stress-relievers: Wine, travel, friends, watching movies with my husband and the dog.