Diane Hupp, DNP, RN, NEA-BC

Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President, Operations and Patient Care Services UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Diane S. Hupp, DNP, RN, NEA-BC is Vice President, Operations and Patient Care Services, and Chief Nursing Officer at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Hupp was instrumental in leading the initiatives for the patient care design, workflows, technology, training, and process changes for the patient care providers for the new 296-bed Children’s Hospital transition. She also has been the catalyst for significant advancements in surgical technology, supply chain management, operating room efficiency, and patient safety.

Prior to serving in this role, Dr. Hupp was the Executive Director of Nursing and Surgical Services responsible for the administrative oversight of the operations of the surgical inpatient nursing units, outpatient services, perioperative departments, and the surgical practice plans.

During her 20 plus-year career with Children’s, she also served as the Nursing Director of Perioperative and Surgery Centers/Services responsible for the administrative functions of all acute care surgical inpatient nursing units, operating room, post-anesthesia care unit, same day surgery unit, anesthesia department, central sterile, warehouse, and two ambulatory surgery centers that are located in separate facilities from the main hospital. Other positions included: Director of Medical Services, and Patient Service Manager on various inpatient units. The first nine years of Dr. Hupp's nursing career at Children’s were in the Orthopaedic/Surgical/Trauma Unit where she advanced from a Child Care Assistant to a Professional Staff Nurse. She also served as the unit’s Assistant Head Nurse Manager.

Since assuming her role as CNO, the Nursing Division at Children’s has made significant progress with reductions in nursing turnover and elimination of use of agency RN throughout the hospital, as well as creating a shared leadership model, which has successfully led the hospital to Magnet designation in 2012, and a second designation in 2017. She has led expansions in the inpatient, outpatient, periop, and rehab arenas of the hospital.  Her role of Chief Nurse / Patient Care Executive has expanded to include hospital operations overseeing Facilities/Maintenance, Environmental Services, Food/Nutritional Services, Public Safety, Patient Safety / Quality / Accreditation, Parking/Valet, Hospitality, and numerous other hospital support and clinical services.

Dr. Hupp has a Master’s Degree in Nursing Administration, a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Duquesne University, and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Pittsburgh. She has strategized to promote higher levels of education and certification for all staff as evidenced by the nursing staff elevating from 60% to over 80% baccalaureate-prepared nurses.

In addition to her leadership role at Children's Hospital, Dr. Hupp has published and co-authored numerous articles in hospital news and nursing journals. She also presents at national nursing and leadership conferences, as well as having served as a guest faculty at Duquesne University, University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University.  

Dr. Hupp is a member of local and national nursing organizations including the American Organization of Nurse Executives; Child Health of America; Chief Nursing Officer’s Forum; Society of Pediatric Nurses; American Nurse’s Association and the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders (PONL).  She was recently elected to the Board of Directors of Duquesne University as well as serving as a Board Member for PONL.  She is President of the Southwest Organization for Nurse Leaders and serves on the PA Nurse Legislation Committee.

Most recently, she was the recipient of the 2009 Woman of Distinction Award at Duquesne University, the 2011 UPMC Corporate Nursing Leading with Wisdom Award, 2011 Eugene S. Wiener, MD Award for Excellence for Outstanding Contributions in Pediatric Healthcare, 2014 Pennsylvania Nightingale Nurse Executive recipient, 2014 Duquesne University Distinguished Alumni Century Club inductee, and 2016 Pittsburgh Most Powerful and Influential Women Award recipient.