Pamela Urbanski, MSN has joined Mercy Memorial Hospital System as the Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services.

Urbanski comes to Mercy Memorial Hospital System with over 23 years of operational and strategic health care experience, most recently with Provena Health Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin, Illinois where she was Chief Nurse Executive and Regional Vice President of Patient Care Services. In this executive role, Urbanski was accountable for nursing, rehabilitation, Emergency Department, Cancer Center, Service Excellence, Quality/Care Management, Risk Management, and Behavioral Health. She has also held the top nursing and clinical leadership roles at Rush Oak Park Hospital and Gottlieb Memorial Hospital which are both community hospitals in Illinois.

Urbanski said she was struck by the level of enthusiasm for quality of patient care here at Mercy Memorial Hospital System.

“I feel from wherever people are in the organization, there is a true commitment to quality patient care,” she said. “From the community level, the board of trustees have a level of commitment and vision for what we can accomplish. I am looking forward to what the future holds for us as a team.”

Committed to lifelong learning, she has also served as an assistant professor at Rush University College of Nursing in Chicago. Urbanski said her father was a superintendent of schools in Illinois when she was growing up and her family was shocked when she chose nursing as a career over becoming a teacher.

She holds a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from Texas Women’s University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Marycrest College, Davenport, Iowa. She is also a member of the American Association of Nurse Executives (AONE) and the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

When it comes to Mercy Memorial Hospital System, Urbanski said she is excited to continue the endeavors for quality outcomes for patients and is impressed by the level of professionalism from the whole team.

“I’ve noticed the nurses and entire team are critical thinkers whose #1 priority is compassionate patient care,” she said. “My ultimate goal is quality compassionate care for all patients.”

A native of Illinois, Urbanski said she is looking forward to exploring all that Michigan and Monroe have to offer.