Susan Pappas is the Executive Director of the UCSF Health Experience Excellence Division which includes the following departments: Experience Improvement, Experience Intelligence, Patient Relations, Decedent Affairs, Guest Screening Services, Volunteer Services, Surgical Navigation Assistance Program, Spiritual Care/Chaplaincy Education and Language & Interpreting Services.   

Here's what Susan’s nominator had to say about her:

“Susan is the heart of UCSF. She oversees the Office of UCSF Health Experience which includes patient experience analytics and training, interpreter services, patient relations, volunteers, decedent affairs and physician and staff experience. She trains, influences, and is relentless in pursuing the optimal patient, staff and physician experiences. Through her work, she transforms teams to become aware of how their behavior impacts the patient experience. She is a continuous improvement advocate and approaches her work through deep caring and compassion.”

 - Cynthia Chiarappa, VP, UCSF Health Administration & Chief of Staff to CEO

Susan’s Bio:

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to help vulnerable people.  I had a learning disability (Dyslexia) and knew acutely what it felt like to struggle in life.  I developed a deep appreciation for kindness and patience since that is what I needed most from others. While attending college in Arizona at 22 years old, I began my career in healthcare working at Tri City Behavioral Health Center within the Banner Health System as a data control specialist.  I soon found out that coding and crunching numbers was not my forte so when I had the opportunity to apply for a patient advocate role, I jumped at the chance.  I can honestly say my heart found its home and I found my place in this world.  In the 23 years I spent at Banner Health, I had the privilege of listening to thousands of patients tell their stories and struggles. I developed a keen ability to assist when they needed to have their voices be heard within this confusing, terrifying, lonely maze we call healthcare.  I also had the opportunity to move into leadership roles in process improvement, training and staff development as well as coaching and mentoring other midlevel leaders.

I was recruited to beautiful San Diego in 2009 to become the Director of Patient Experience at UC San Diego where I expanded my leadership portfolio.  In 2012, I had my “Marlo Thomas That Girl moment” and moved to the windy city of Chicago to become the Executive Director of the Office of Patient Experience at University of Chicago Medicine.  Let’s just say me and the cold weather did not get along, so when I had the chance to come back to California to work at the finest academic medical center on the planet, I made the easy decision to move to San Francisco in June of 2014.  I have been here at UCSF Health for just over six years now.  I count my blessings that I have the honor of leading a division of over 100 incredible people who help the most vulnerable patients in the most extraordinary ways every day.

Do you have a favorite song?

Better Place by Rachel Platten.  It is my hope that my life’s anthem would simply resemble my favorite verse in this song: “It’s a better place since you came along.”

What advice would you give yourself early on in your career?

Remember that God has equipped you with unique strengths that make you exactly who you are supposed to be. Embrace those strengths as they will guide you to your true authentic self.  I have taken the CliftonStrengths assessment (formerly Clifton StrengthsFinder test) a couple of times in my career and both times came up with the same top strengths: 1. W.O.W. (Winning Others Over) 2. Empathy 3. Connectedness 4. Positivity 5. Maximizer.  When you allow yourself to naturally lean into your strengths, doors open, opportunities appear, and life takes you on the most amazing journeys both professionally and personally.

Can you tell us about an important role model or mentor in your life?

I have had some wonderful mentors along my career path who have shown me what true humble leadership looks like.  When I was just starting out in Patient Relations my mentor and boss, Becky Shults, taught me valuable practice when taking patient complaints: “Listen to their story with your whole heart, you will hear their soul telling yours what it needs.”  We can be so much more useful when our heart is engaged.  

My current boss, Cynthia Chiarappa, is by far the best mentor I have ever had.  She has a way of asking hard, deeply impactful questions, constantly focusing my attention on tangible ways to make things “just a little bit better” and has helped me cling to the mantra that sometimes “good is good enough” (especially during the last six months of this COVID-19 pandemic).    

What do you like to do outside of work?

Just about anything with my beautiful husband (John) of 4 years. We are remodeling our house right now so that is keeping us pretty preoccupied.  We also enjoy getting together with our Brady Bunch-sized family (his 3 kids + 2 spouses + 1 fiancé and my 2 kids + 1 spouse).  Our life is full indeed.

Meet other outstanding women of UCSF Health through Our Spotlight.