Cynthia Barginere, DNP, RN, FACHE

Dr. Barginere is the SVP/President of Adult Services at UCSF Health. Previously she served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and was accountable for a broad set of responsibilities across IHI; leading and supporting the infrastructure and necessary organizational elements as the company evolves and grows. Cynthia provides strategic leadership by formulating and articulating operating needs and plans to staff; by serving on the Executive Team; and by supporting the Board in its governance of key operations issues.

Prior to joining IHI, she was Chief Transformation Officer/Senior Vice President at Rush University System for Health, where she was responsible for extending the system's reach and operationalizing clinical service lines and centers across the Chicago region. Ms. Barginere joined Rush in 2011 as Chief Nursing Officer and Associate Dean for Nursing Practice, and in June 2015 she became Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Rush University Hospital. The enduring impact of her leadership can be seen in Rush’s fourth and fifth designation as a Magnet Hospital, the highest honor in nursing. From 2006 to 2011, Ms. Barginere served in a variety of positions at Baptist Medical Center South (BMCS) in Montgomery, Alabama, including five years as its COO and Chief Nursing Officer. Prior to joining BMCS, she spent 12 years at the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, culminating in a four-year tenure as Associate Executive Director and Chief Nursing Officer. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama–Tuscaloosa, a Master of Science in Nursing Administration from the University of Alabama–Birmingham, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Samford University in Birmingham.

Honored as a Chicago United Business Leader of Color for 2015, Ms. Barginere has completed multiple national leadership fellowships and served as a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Commission and the Committee Evaluating the Future of Nursing Report at the Institute of Medicine (known today as the National Academy of Medicine). She serves on the board of the DAISY Foundation.