A life saved, a legacy built: Honoring Pat Ritz and the future of burn care

On a hot, dry June afternoon in 1985, Pat and Trudy Ritz were enjoying a relaxing day at Kah-Ne-Ta Resort in Warm Springs.

Suddenly, a grass fire began racing up the hillside, fed by wind and sagebrush. Pat, then a young CEO who had recently started Oregon Title Insurance Company, joined a small group of resort staff to help fight the fire.

The group soaked blankets and carried them down the hill to smother the flames. For a moment, it seemed to work. Then the wind shifted. The fire roared uphill, trapping them. With no other option, Pat and several others ran straight through the flames, holding their breath to avoid scorching their lungs. Though badly burned, this decision saved their lives.
 
Pat sustained burns over 45 percent of his body, including his face, arms, hands, and legs. He spent five weeks at the Oregon Burn Center at Legacy Emanuel, enduring multiple surgeries and skin grafts, followed by months of rehabilitation. The physical recovery was demanding, but what left the deepest impression was the care.
 
“There were so many operations,” Pat recalls. Dr. Philip Parshley, one of Oregon Burn Center’s founding physicians, quickly earned Pat’s trust through his clinical expertise and thoughtful care planning.  “And the nurses,” Pat continues, “day after day, they carried you through everything. Their attentiveness, their compassion, their willingness to do the hardest work. I don’t know how they do it.”
 
That care made it possible for Pat to return to work without losing momentum at a critical moment in his career. In fact, the opposite happened. Support poured in from the real estate community and his business grew. He went on to build a successful career in the title industry, while also serving in board and committee roles supporting the Oregon Burn Center and later as chair of the Emanuel Medical Foundation.

Now, Pat has turned his attention to giving back in a deeper way. He is doing that by reconnecting with the organizations that have been part of his story, such as Oregon Burn Center. “Successful companies don’t just happen,” Pat says when reflecting on why he was compelled to rekindle his support, “Mine was possible in part because of the care I received. I didn’t miss steps. I went back to work. That’s because of the people here.”