Wendy Horton

Wendy Horton, MBA, PharmD, FACHE, is the Senior Vice President and President of Adult Services at UCSF Health, a hospital ranked among the top 10 in the United States. A nationally recognized healthcare leader, she has dedicated her career to advancing operational excellence, driving strategic growth, and delivering patient-centered care, all while maintaining a strong commitment to the communities she serves. She is focused on improving healthcare quality and driving innovation through the optimization of care delivery and the effective use of technology to support both patients and care teams. With a background in clinical pharmacy and extensive leadership experience in major academic medical centers, she combines clinical expertise, strategic planning, and organizational leadership to achieve excellence in safety, quality, and performance. Before joining UCSF Health, she served as CEO of UVA Health University Medical Center and System COO of UVA Health, a $4.5 billion health system employing more than 17,000 team members and 1,200 faculty in Charlottesville, Virginia. Over the course of five years, she led a significant statewide expansion through strategic partnerships and acquisitions, strengthening integration across clinical, operational, and financial areas. Under her leadership, the system doubled in size, expanded patient access, and introduced workforce programs, including an earn-while-you-learn initiative. She also advanced population health efforts, improved communication through listening sessions, town halls, and clinical rounds, and reduced reliance on travel nurses by more than 75%. Her leadership fostered a culture of transparency, collaboration, and safety while enhancing care coordination and team engagement. Previously, she was Chief Administrative Officer at The Ohio State University College of Medicine within a $4 billion academic health system. She improved faculty engagement, enhanced diversity, reduced physician recruitment time by 81%, implemented a $340 million physician compensation plan, and increased research funding by 28.4% to $269.4 million. Earlier, she worked for 12 years at the University of Wisconsin, where she served as Vice President of Operations and oversaw the completion of a new hospital. Recognized by Modern Healthcare as a 2023 Top Women Leader in Healthcare, Wendy Horton continues to advance healthcare access, quality, and innovation through her thoughtful and impactful leadership.