News Release

UPMC NORTHWEST NAMES NEW ADMINISTRATORS

Feb. 27, 2004 — Following the retirement of Ruthanne Nerlich last summer, UPMC Northwest named two long-time management staff members to assume additional administrative responsibilities at VNA and Sugar Creek Station. Pat Kaufman, RN, CHE, became VNA’s chief executive officer, and Nancy Pastorius, RN, NHA, added the duties of chief operating officer to her role as Sugar Creek Station administrator.

UPMC Northwest has since appointed Linda Dudjak, RN, PhD, CHE, as vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at the hospital.

Pat Kaufman, RN, CHE – Mrs. Kaufman oversees more than 140 employees who provide home health, hospice and private duty care, community education programs, and other services.

The Oil City native has 27 years of home health care experience – 25 years with VNA of Venango County and two years in Clarion County – including seven years as assistant CEO to Mrs. Nerlich. She holds an associate degree in nursing from the State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, a bachelor’s degree in health education from the University of Connecticut, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Slippery Rock University, and a master’s degree in health services administration from Gannon University.

Mrs. Kaufman has diplomate status in the American College of Healthcare Executives, which is indicative of advanced credentials in health care administration, and is a member of the Pennsylvania Homecare Association and VNA of Pennsylvania boards of directors.

“We’re a very solid organization with a competent, caring staff, and we have exceptional support from the administration, our board and community,” she said of the VNA. “I see our role expanding because of our aging population and the ongoing emphasis on in-home health care, and we’ll continue to develop new programs to meet the needs of the community.”

Nancy Pastorius, RN, NHA – As administrator and chief operating officer of the 160-bed Sugar Creek Station, Mrs. Pastorius oversees a work force of 180 staff members who provide skilled nursing and rehabilitative care.

Mrs. Pastorius has been Sugar Creek Station’s administrator for five years since serving two years as director of nursing in UPMC Northwest’s transitional care unit (TCU). Her nursing career has included 17 years of service at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, including three years as director of nursing in the hospital’s TCU, and several years each as a patient care coordinator and staff nurse in a 46-bed medical unit at Mercy.

The Pittsburgh native is a graduate of Mercy Hospital School of Nursing. She attained a bachelor’s degree in nursing from LaRoche College in Pittsburgh and attended Slippery Rock University to earn a nursing home administrator’s license.

Sugar Creek Station’s work force has played a key role in expanding the facility’s services and improving its operations, “and the results have been dramatic,” Mrs. Pastorius says. “Every staff member and manager has been instrumental in our success, and I’m absolutely positive they will continue to help Sugar Creek Station evolve and grow to meet the needs of our community.”

Linda Dudjak, RN, PhD, CHE – Dr. Dudjak oversees all functions of UPMC Northwest’s nursing department, which includes more than 250 registered nurses and other clinical staff.

She has 30 years of experience as a clinician, educator, and administrator in both community and academic health care. She has held various clinical and administrative positions with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), the Joint Radiation Oncology Center, and Shadyside Hospital.
Dr. Dudjak holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from LaRoche College in Pittsburgh, and both a master’s degree and a doctorate in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh.
She is an adjunct faculty member with the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, and is certified by the American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE).

“The talent and enthusiasm of UPMC Northwest staff members, along with their commitment to provide compassionate, state-of-the-art care, positions us for tremendous achievement and growth over the next decade,” Dr. Dudjak said. “The resources in the new facility and our partnership with UPMC Health System offer a unique opportunity for expanding programs and services that will distinguish us in the region.”