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...