
Speaker

Cynthia Barginere, DNP, RN, FACHE
Cynthia Barginere, COO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, is accountable for a broad set of responsibilities across IHI, leading and supporting the infrastructure and necessary organizational elements as the company evolves and grows. Dr. Barginere provides strategic leadership by formulating and articulating operating needs and plans to staff, serving on the executive team and supporting the board in its governance of key operations issues. Prior to joining IHI, she was chief transformation officer/senior vice president at Rush University System for Health, where she was responsible for extending the system’s reach and operationalizing clinical service lines and centers across the Chicago region. Dr. Barginere joined Rush in 2011 as CNO and associate dean for nursing practice, and in June 2015 she became senior vice president/COO of Rush University Hospital. The enduring impact of her leadership can be seen in Rush’s fourth and fifth designation as a Magnet Hospital, the highest honor in nursing. From 2006 to 2011, Dr. Barginere served in a variety of positions at Baptist Medical Center South in Montgomery, Ala., including five years as its COO/CNO. Prior to joining BMCS, she spent 12 years at the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, culminating in a four-year tenure as associate executive director/CNO. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Alabama–Tuscaloosa, a Master of Science degree in nursing administration from the University of Alabama–Birmingham and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Samford University in Birmingham. Honored as a Chicago United Business Leader of Color for 2015, Dr. Barginere has completed multiple national leadership fellowships and served as a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Commission and the committee evaluating the Future of Nursing report at the Institute of Medicine (known today as the National Academy of Medicine). She serves on the board of the DAISY Foundation. Dr. Barginere is board certified in healthcare management as an ACHE Fellow.