Longtime nurse chief tapped to lead UPMC's flagship hospital in Pittsburgh

A longtime champion for engaging front-line health care workers in executive decision-making will take the helm of UPMC’s flagship hospital operation at the start of next year.

Sandra Rader — a seasoned chief nurse and vice president of patient care services before becoming chief operating officer — has been promoted to president of UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, a multi-campus hospital in Pittsburgh.

She’ll oversee more than 8,000 employees across the UPMC Presbyterian and Montefiore buildings in Oakland and UPMC Shadyside on Centre Avenue.

The Oakland campus serves as the hub of UPMC’s academic medical programs and provides Level 1 trauma care — the highest designation for treating serious and life-threatening injuries.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity,” said Rader, a former president of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders. An adjunct professor at University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing, Rader has a doctorate in nursing practice from Chatham University — where she serves on the board of trustees — and a master’s degree in administration from the University of Notre Dame.

She touts a philosophy of “shared leadership to create quality patient care and a culture of excellence.”

While chief nursing officer of both Shadyside and Presbyterian campuses, Rader said that she sought to ensure her employees were “empowered to make a difference” and “encouraged to question the status quo and to think outside the box for new and creative solutions.”

“It’s important to stay close to the front-line staff, it’s important to listen to them, to really have the best idea in terms of best practices and making changes,” Rader told the Tribune-Review. “I’ve always been close with the staff. We talk a lot about goals and the way they see their department functioning. I like to sit and listen and really respond to their needs, so that we can empower them.”

Rader succeeds John Innocenti, who is taking on a new role in the multibillion-dollar nonprofit organization as president of UPMC Mercy in the city’s Uptown neighborhood.

The changes are among several internal promotions announced by UPMC this week, about three months into Leslie Davis’ tenure as CEO of the health giant, headquartered in Downtown Pittsburgh, following the retirement of Jeffrey Romoff.

“One of the biggest strengths across UPMC is our people. Without our talented front-line patient care teams and essential services personnel, our dedicated managers and the commitment of our leaders, we’re just big buildings and fancy equipment,” Mark Sevco, UPMC’s president of health services, wrote in a memo to employees announcing the promotions. “And at this crucial moment in our industry, there’s no better time to tap the potential of our leaders and continue their growth right here at UPMC.”

Innocenti, also a senior vice president, will continue to have executive oversight over UPMC Sports Medicine, STAT MedEvac, EMS and trauma services.

He will remain on the steering committee for the 18-story tower under construction that will add 636 beds and 900,000 square feet for heart and transplant programs and a lobby-level “lifestyle village” at UPMC Presbyterian, in addition to overseeing construction underway at UPMC Mercy.

The “hospitals within a hospital” projects are part of a $2 billion expansion.

“We are so grateful for the expertise and leadership that John has shown at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, and appreciate his continued, steadfast commitment and focus to setting the course for the future of UPMC Mercy as they continue construction and ultimately complete the UPMC Vision and Rehabilitation Tower over the (next) 12 to 15 months,” Sevco said.

Of Rader, Sevco said that she “has proven herself a strategic, capable and compassionate leader ready to take on this challenge.”

Looking ahead, Rader said the threat of covid-19 and staffing shortages continue to pose challenges for hospitals across Pennsylvania and nationwide.

“Certainly the pandemic has brought a lot of challenges to our health care system overall, and the things that we face are not much different than what’s going on in the rest of the nation in terms of the worker shortage,” Rader said. “We’re really working to retain our talented workers and to recruit more.”

Both Rader and Innocenti will begin their new positions on Jan. 1.

Among other personnel changes within UPMC’s health services division:

• Tami Minnier, who has been leading UPMC’s covid-19 response for the 40-hospital system since the pandemic began, has been named senior vice president of the health services division and chief quality and operational excellence officer for UPMC. It’s a new position that expands the work Minnier has been doing as chief quality officer and was created in response to the need and “her skills and talents,” a UPMC spokesperson said.

“Her ability to build consensus and quickly assemble action teams has been crucial to our ability to successfully navigate the pandemic and the subsequent nationwide trend of health care worker shortages that have followed,” Sevco said.

She’ll focus on “enhanced clinical care coordination, efficiency, and alignment utilizing insight gained through analytics and data.” Her duties will be expanded to include oversight of the Center for Nursing Excellence with help from UPMC chief nurse executive Holly Lorenz.

• David Gibbons, president of UPMC Hamot in Erie since 2017, has been named market president of UPMC’s Northern Tier and North-Central Pennsylvania regions and a senior vice president. Gibbons served as a regional leader overseeing progress at UPMC Chautauqua, UPMC Kane, UPMC Northwest, UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson hospital campuses.

“David has helped position UPMC well for growth and longevity in the region,” Sevco said.

Gibbons joins Dave Martin as a regional market president. Steven Johnson, president of North-Central hospitals, will report to Gibbons.

In his message to employees, Sevco said he will work closely with Dr. Joon Lee “to achieve great success in the months and years to come.”

The pair marked the first two UPMC executives to get new titles following Davis taking over as CEO.

In October, Sevco became president of UPMC hospitals and Dr. Lee became president of UPMC physician services. Together, they are co-leading UPMC’s health services division, which previously was led by Davis.