Throughout her career, Susan Davis has applied her talents to eliminating health care disparities and upholding the dignity of all people, especially those who are the poorest and most vulnerable.
In her previous leadership role at St. Vincent's Health Services in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and now at Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Florida, Susan has demonstrated selfless commitment to improving the health status of the communities in which she serves.
In Bridgeport, she ignited a movement in all Connecticut hospitals to eliminate all-cause preventable harm. She became the voice for safety and high performance in quality indicators across the state, and her work led to the passage of a state law expanding disclosure of medical errors and giving patients greater access to information about their care.
Under her oversight, St. Vincent's became a pioneer of patient and family advisory councils, ensuring that governance structures benefit from patient and family member participation.
In Pensacola, as leader of Sacred Heart Health System and Ascension Healthcare's Gulf Coast Market, Susan has been a tireless advocate for women and children. She is currently leading the effort to build the only children's hospital on the Gulf Coast.
And recently, she used her own experience with breast cancer to advocate the importance of early detection. With her typical transparency, she kept associates updated on her diagnosis and treatment and appeared in a public breast cancer campaign on television and in newspapers.