Louise Urban, RN, BSN, MHA
Chief Operating Officer, Institute Operations, Allegheny Health Network
ahn.org 

Louise Urban has performed several roles throughout her 30-year career at Allegheny Health Network, but one thing has remained the same — she’s a caregiver at heart. Urban, currently the Chief Operating Officer of Institute Operations at Allegheny Health Network, began her career as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Jefferson Hospital. Afterward, she performed various leadership roles including the Chief Nursing Officer, COO, and President and CEO for Jefferson and Canonsburg hospitals.

“As my role and responsibilities have grown over time, I’ve described myself as caring for the people who care for others and a steward of the precious resources that we have to provide services to our communities,” Urban says.

As Chief Operating Officer, Urban oversees the overall strategy and operations of AHN Institutes, the physician lead clinical services lines and the ambulatory footprint where clinical services are provided. Despite facing significant challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, AHN has continued to expand its programs and facilities in the past two years, opening five new hospitals as well as a $90 million AHN Cancer Institute research center at Allegheny General Hospital.

“It’s easy to motivate yourself to work hard when you’re energized and excited by what you are doing,” Urban says.

In addition to her filling a variety of roles at AHN, she has also spent several years serving on the Pressley Ridge Board of Directors, an experience that she describes as “life-changing.”

“As a business leader, we have the responsibility to give back through volunteerism or serving on a nonprofit board,” Urban says. “It is a way to work together for the common good, transforming shared beliefs and hopes into action.”

What advice does Urban have for other women in business? “Find your passion in life and follow it. It’s not always clear in the beginning and occasionally you may find yourself in a place that you didn’t expect to be,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. It could lead to amazing things for you personally and for your career.”

Urban says the best career advice she ever received is to think about how her work impacts the greater good. “When I know I’m doing something to make a difference in someone’s life or to change the world in some way, I am motivated and can be the best version of myself,” she says.

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