UH Announces Michelle Hereford as System Chief Nursing Executive

CLEVELAND – Michelle Hereford, MSHA, RN, FACHE, has joined University Hospitals as the System Chief Nursing Executive (CNE) and the inaugural Ms. Ethel Morikis Endowed Chair in Nursing Leadership.

Hereford has a depth of experience and proven performance as a health care executive. She joins UH from AMITA Health, Illinois’ largest health care system comprised of 19 hospitals in the Chicago area. She served most recently as AMITA Health’s System Chief Nursing Officer, Senior Vice President and System Post-Acute Care Officer. Her dynamic leadership was instrumental to that system’s

COVID-19 operational response as the co-executive lead of its Incident Command Center. She also served as an executive leader for its bundled payment program.

“Ms. Hereford’s established legacy of advocacy, service, leadership, and community stewardship are hallmarks critical to our systemness strategy,” said Cliff A. Megerian, MD, FACS, Chief Executive Officer. “She impressed all who engaged in our detailed and comprehensive national search. As our health system’s most senior nurse executive, Ms. Hereford will serve on the Executive Leadership Team and our UH Clinical Network Senior Leadership Council.”

Hereford’s diverse clinical experience includes critical care and step-down services, medical/surgical, and cardiology departments. She has established leadership experience at both academic and community health systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia as Director of Patient Care Services, Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chief of Transitional Care Hospital, and Chief of Community Hospitals.

She earned her BSN and MSHA from Virginia Commonwealth University / Medical College of Virginia and her Diploma of Nursing from Riverside School of Professional Nursing in Newport News, Virginia.

The System Chief Nursing Executive position was filled on an interim basis by Jennifer Carpenter, who will remain as Chief Nursing Office for UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, MacDonald Women’s Hospital and Women and Children’s services.