Maureen Boberg, RN, OCN
Registered Nurse, UCSF Interventional Pulmonary Clinic at Mount Zion
Here is what Maureen's nominators had to say about her:
Maureen is THE FACE of a UCSF nurse! She is incredible from her clinical knowledge to her advocacy for patients, fellow staff (clinical and administrative), to the doctors she works for. She thinks about everything from the macro to the micro level of details and how everything can work together to improve care for patients. Her fierce passion for healthcare creates an environment where you are being elevated to be the best you can. She coordinates seamlessly with many different disciplines and is resourceful to finding answers for patients and for staff should we need. At the core, she is such a beautiful human soul that deserves to be spotlighted!
Nominated by: Jennie Vu
I am nominating her because she is an exceptional nurse who consistently goes above and beyond for her patients. She always puts their needs first, treating each person with kindness, respect, and genuine compassion. Her ability to listen, comfort, and provide thoughtful care makes a real difference in the lives of those she serves. She not only demonstrates strong clinical skills but also creates a supportive and reassuring environment for patients and their families. Her dedication, empathy, and professionalism truly set her apart.
Nominated by: Rohan Maharjan
Maureen has been an integral part of Interventional Pulmonary since the start of the practice. She always steps in to help when needed and takes the initiative to address any problems head on. In terms of patient care, she is patient and understanding with any patient who comes into the clinic.
Nominated by: Komal Mann
Maureen is so inspiring. She is the senior RN of a very busy practice and is the chair of the shared governance council. She is an excellent preceptor and an advocate for staff and patients.
Nominated by: Shayne Cardozo
I am nominating Maureen because of her wonderful care of patients and as an unofficial mentor to clinical staff in the UCSF Mt Zion Cancer Center. Maureen is always willing to help train other team members in an official capacity and to help acclimate new staff to the office culture. She goes the extra mile to make sure that patients are cared for and understand their treatment plans. Maureen is an essential part of the communication between all teams in the clinic (providers, management, and admin) which helps the day to day operations of a high volume practice run smoothly. She makes herself available to people outside of her department to share knowledge and discuss how to best handle complicated situations with providers.
Nominated by: Hannah Basker
Maureen was my preceptor when I started my career with UCSF last year. She was instrumental in giving me the solid foundation I have now to be successful in my role. Maureen instilled in me the importance of not only advocating for the patient's needs but advocating my own through implementing professional boundaries. Her drive to deliver the utmost quality care to her patients has served as motivation for me to carry on the lessons and examples she's shown me. It has been an honor to work with such an empowering woman.
Nominated by: Melissa Lyon
Maureen is a leader within her area of clinical practice, and across the Cancer Center. She is a longstanding RN Unit Council and Shared Governance Chair in the Cancer Center, she is a preceptor, mentor, and change champion. She is the heartbeat of her clinic and has been instrumental to the growth of the department while maintaining high quality, specialized care.
Nominated by: Sarah Francke
Maureen is a tireless advocate for her patients, team and fellow nurses. Maureen has been at the Cancer Center for over decade and has become an expert in telephone triage, resource and preceptor. Maureen saw a need for nursing organization in the Cancer Center and was instrumental in forming the first and ongoing iterations of the Nursing Shared Governance Council. Maureen is not only an excellent and experienced Oncology nurse, but she is also a strong leader for nurses throughout UCSF.
Nominated by: Jocelyn Kiefer
Maureen shares a wealth of clinical knowledge and is an amazing resource, coworker and friend. She is always welcoming and goes the extra mile to keep teams connected. Mo is super strong at setting boundaries and advocating for patients and nurses. I have also always admiring her ability to strike the perfect work/life balance, a great example to us all. Maureen is definitely an asset to and a staple of the Cancer Center.
Nominated by: Sarah Stallone-O’Brien
Maureen is an integral part of our team. She was very welcoming and supportive of me since I started in January 2025. She set the tone for how we work with each other and how we collaborate to provide patient care. She is the definition of a team player, is always thoughtful of how actions or decisions affect each team member. She is a staunch patient advocate and excels in her role as a clinician. I’m having the most fun in my career and I wouldn’t be in this position without Maureen’s warm welcome and support.
Nominated by: John Conrad Uy
From the very first day I met Maureen Boberg, I knew she was a nurse who elevates everyone around her. I have had the privilege of working alongside Maureen both as her nurse manager and now as her Nursing Professional Development Specialist, and in every capacity she has been a catalyst for excellence, innovation, and connection.
Maureen has an extraordinary gift for seeing the bigger picture. She brings forward thoughtful, practical ideas that streamline workflows and make life smoother for patients and staff alike. She does not simply accept the status quo; she envisions what is possible and then rolls up her sleeves to make it happen.
One of the clearest examples of Maureen’s impact came in 2017, when she recognized the need for nurses in our ambulatory practices to have a stronger voice and sense of community. She stepped up to create a brand-new unit-based council that united over 20 practices across two campuses—a bold undertaking at the time. Under her co-leadership, that council blossomed into a true shared governance infrastructure, eventually expanding to include many more sites as our cancer services grew. What Maureen built did more than improve processes: it broke down silos, created professional development opportunities for countless colleagues, and gave nurses a sense of belonging in a rapidly changing environment.
Maureen’s dedication to others is ongoing. Most recently, she volunteered to spend a full day onsite with us to review our new-hire onboarding program, bringing her deep expertise in ambulatory clinic nursing to ensure it was relevant and meaningful for new staff. Her feedback was detailed, thoughtful, and immediately actionable—an example of her generosity with her time and her unwavering commitment to making UCSF Health stronger.
Above all, Maureen embodies professionalism and grace. She is collaborative, insightful, and a delight to work with. Her leadership is not loud or flashy; it is steady, inclusive, and transformative. She mentors by example, inspires by action, and has left an indelible mark on our teams.
It is with heartfelt gratitude and admiration that I nominate Maureen Boberg for the Women of UCSF Health Spotlight Award. She truly represents the spirit of this recognition—someone whose achievements, leadership, and generosity have made UCSF Health a better place for patients, staff, and the community we serve.
Nominated by: Emmika Elkin
Maureen Boberg, RN is the most exceptional nurse with whom I have had the pleasure of working in my 20+ years at UCSF. Each and every day she goes exceeds all expectations in serving our patients, and in the past several years, she has mentored many others to excel in patient care with the same exceedingly high standards.
On numerous occasions, Maureen has worked tirelessly to tackle some of the most difficult obstacles for our patients. I can recall how on several occasions she has helped patients to navigate the very challenging process of obtaining home oxygen – each time explaining everything in detail to make it as easy as possible. Most recently for a patient whom I was trying to obtain a medication for months, Maureen was finally able to obtain a long term authorization dramatically improving the experience for our patient. It was her persistence and dedication that finally paid off.
In clinic, when she works with patient and families, providing compassionate and clear patient education. She has such a calm, understanding and reassuring manner. She take the time to confirm that each patient and their family members understand and that have everything that he or she needs. And, she always follows up on every detail!
In addition, her clinical acumen is outstanding. Whenever she takes a call from a patient or receives a message, I know that I can trust her to elicit the essential information and to convey the most important details, ultimately taking the best approach to care for the patient.
Maureen is an essential member of our health care team -- and patients' lives and experiences are better everyday because of her!
Nominated by: Lorriana Leard
I am honored to nominate Maureen Boberg for the Women of UCSF Health Spotlight Award. She has been an influential nurse leader across Cancer Services, recognized for her unwavering commitment to patients, colleagues, and the UCSF Health community.
As a passionate patient advocate, Maureen ensures that the needs and voices of patients are always central to the care we provide. She embodies compassion and equity in every interaction, setting the standard for excellence in oncology nursing.
She is equally dedicated to supporting her colleagues, serving as a trusted advocate for staff and a strong bridge between frontline nurses and leadership. Through her knowledge, accessibility, and commitment to collaboration, she has built trust, improved communication, and fostered an environment where staff feel valued and empowered.
Her impact is felt widely across Cancer Services and beyond. Respected for her expertise and admired for her dedication, Maureen exemplifies the spirit of the Women of UCSF Health Spotlight Award. She is a true leader, mentor, and advocate who continues to elevate both patient care and the nursing profession.
Nominated by: Kara Merski
It brings me great pleasure to write this letter on behalf of Maureen Boberg, RN for consideration of this recognition. Maureen is an incredible asset to UCSF and it is clear to me that she is well-deserving of this significant recognition. As one of two physicians developing the Oncologic Pulmonary clinic in the Thoracic Oncology Program at the Mount Zion Cancer Center, I have witnessed first-hand how Maureen’s dedication continues to help advance the UCSF Cancer Center’s mission of providing support to patients and their loved ones, as well as promoting patient wellness.
Maureen is a tremendous resource and is often the first point of contact for patients who are dealing with a new life altering situation such as a cancer diagnosis. The patients and families love her and often go out of their way to make us aware of this. Not only is her heart large but so is her fund of knowledge and adaptability. She has mastered new skills over the years and has helped our service provide the highest level of care. I often lecture on some of our programs and I have a slide titled "Have a Maureen" since she is a key asset to our program's value. She spares no effort and utilizes the great relationships she has developed throughout the cancer center to advance our patient’s needs, whether it’s finding alternatives to tegaderm for those with sensitivities, figuring out logistics for patient travel or home oxygen needs, or helping patients drain their tunneled pleural catheters. She is very energetic and the patients are very appreciative of her. I am often given high praise for some aspect of care that Maureen provided. Maureen’s personal attributes are truly worthy of recognition. She is the most collaborative person I’ve ever met. It seems a part of her DNA to help people, with the goal of providing the best possible care. Her work ethic, positive attitude, and willingness to go out of her way for others is an example for how providers should be.
Nominated by: Yaron Gesthalter
Maureen's Bio:
I have been an RN for 21 years and spent the past 15 years with the UCSF Solid Tumor Cancer Center. I started my journey into ambulatory oncology care in the Gynecologic Surgery and Oncology practice in 2010 and have been working with the Interventional Pulmonary clinic since 2017. Working to help build our pleural clinic and develop our patient education as our team has grown has been incredibly rewarding and has given me confidence to be a leader within my subspecialty. Oncology care is constantly complex, and I have been fortunate to network with an incredible mix of professionals over the years I have worked in outpatient oncology. I would not be where I am professionally without the support of my team.
I enjoy precepting and providing mentorship to new and experienced RNs alike. The mentorship I received as an RN new to ambulatory care in 2010 set me up for the successful practice I have today. In addition, I was able to participate in the Precepting with Pride training to further expand my leadership skills in precepting. I believe that strong mentorship both early on in a nurse’s career and throughout transitions in practice are the key to healthy growth within the profession and longevity in our careers as nurses.
What advice would you give yourself early on in your career? To a woman entering your field today?
Don’t let hard experiences early in your career burn you out and make you leave the profession. Nursing is an incredibly diverse career and even if your first job isn’t the right fit, learn what you can and move on when you are able to do something else. Additionally, have professional boundaries, take your breaks, speak up when you see something that isn’t right, and be an ally to your peers. Nursing is a hard job both physically and emotionally and we need to take care of ourselves and each other to take care of our patients and their families.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work I love to spend time outdoors, I am an avid hiker and love the beach and yoga. I use all my time off every year and enjoy traveling the world with my family.
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