UPMC President and CEO Jeffrey Romoff is retiring after nearly 50 years with the organization, according to a release Wednesday.
Leslie Davis, who currently serves as UPMC's president of Health Services, will succeed Romoff after a unanimous vote from the organization's Board of Directors.
“Under Jeff’s leadership, UPMC has provided excellent and unmatched health care across our tri-state service territory and internationally. He has led UPMC in developing new models of care and supported advanced research that has benefitted our patients,” said G. Nicholas Beckwith III, chair, UPMC Board of Directors. “Jeff’s contributions are numerous in helping to build UPMC into the global health care leader that it is today. The full Board of Directors joins me in recognizing Jeff’s accomplishments, including the establishment of a strong foundation for the advancement of patient care, research breakthroughs and developing the overall vision for UPMC’s growth.”
Davis has been with UPMC for 17 years and served as the president of UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital from 2004 to 2018. Prior to joining UPMC, she was president of Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia.
She told Lynne Hayes-Freeland on News Radio KDKA, there are lessons learned from the pandemic she will take into her new role.
"What I think it really goes to are my major goals going forward, one of which is serving our communities by providing excellent patient care and patient experiences" she said. "I think that was one of the things COVID tested us on."
Along with patient care, Davis said some of her goals include growth, improved health equity in Pittsburgh and prioritizing the employee experience.
She admits the pandemic has changed the employee experience.
"The employee experience is complicated because our employees are tired," she said. "They've just come out of COVID and taking care of patients 24-7."
Davis will assume her new role on Aug. 1. Romoff will be named president emeritus to assist with the transition until Oct. 1.