Marissa Kiefer Appointed President of UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and MacDonald Women’s Hospital

CLEVELAND, Ohio – University Hospitals announced today that Marissa G. Kiefer, MHSA, a veteran leader in pediatric and women’s healthcare, will be joining University Hospitals as President of UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s and UH MacDonald Women’s hospitals, effective June 1.

Ms. Kiefer is currently the Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital – a 332-bed quaternary care women’s and children’s hospital in Houston, Texas with more than 40 specialties, including renowned programs in fetal medicine, high-risk maternal care, pediatric neurosciences, pediatric and congenital cardiac care, and pediatric trauma.

“Marissa is an influential healthcare executive with a proven track record of driving operational excellence through leadership, strategic planning, and organizational transformation at nationally recognized academic healthcare institutions,” stated Paul R. Hinchey, MD, MBA, Chief Operating Officer of University Hospitals. “Her expertise in strategic planning and execution, change management, and performance improvement — along with her deep experience in multi-site operations, program development, and leadership development — makes her the ideal leader to build on our world-class reputation for women and children’s healthcare services. We are confident that under Marissa’s leadership, UH MacDonald and UH Rainbow hospitals will continue to grow as a beacon of innovation and excellence, ensuring the best outcomes for the women, children and families we serve."

In her current role, Ms. Kiefer is responsible for the strategic leadership, academic and research advancement, operational oversight, and philanthropic development activities of this $900 million Children’s teaching hospital, which is part of the Memorial Hermann Health System — a 14-hospital system serving the Greater Houston region. Ms. Kiefer’s commitment to delivering the best in maternal and children’s healthcare are reflected in Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital’s outstanding quality and year-over-year growth during her tenure.

While at the helm, Ms. Kiefer developed a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan for improving quality and outcomes that led to multiple specialties being ranked in the Top 50 by U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Children’s Hospitals. She is a proven leader in fostering a culture of transparency, collegiality and inclusion, enhancing employee engagement scores significantly while also leading the successful recertification for Level I Trauma, Level IV NICU, Level I Children’s Surgical Verification, and Level IV Women’s designations.

“I am thrilled to be joining the University Hospitals team, an institution with an outstanding national reputation for delivering the highest quality, most compassionate care,” noted Ms. Kiefer. “The prominence in clinical outcomes and groundbreaking research at UH Rainbow and UH MacDonald hospitals is a testament to the extraordinary team of caregivers who dedicate themselves to excellence every day. I am especially proud to be part of a health system recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the Most Equitable provider in Ohio and ranked among Forbes' Top 10 Dream Employers — both reflections of the organization's deep commitment to innovation and excellence. I look forward to building on this incredible foundation and embracing the expanded scope of my role to further advance women and children’s health in Northeast Ohio.”

Previously, Ms. Kiefer held senior executive leadership positions at Riley Children’s Health, the largest and most comprehensive pediatric health system in Indiana, with 50 locations across the state; and Indiana University Health Physicians, the largest and most comprehensive multi-specialty physician group in Indiana. She began her career more than two decades ago at Children’s National Health System in Washington DC. Ms. Kiefer holds a Master of Health Services Administration from the George Washington University. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Public Health at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

Ms. Kiefer replaces Patti DePompei, RN, MSN, who retired in January after a distinguished career of more than 35 years at University Hospitals.