UPMC Hamot

Jim Donnelly has served as the Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at UPMC Hamot in Erie, PA since 2008.

In addition to being a registered nurse, in 1994, Jim was certified as a certified cardiovascular perfusionist and spent 15 years as a member of the cardiac surgery team. Jim has over thirty years of nursing leadership experience in critical care, cardiac surgery, informatics and performance improvement.

Jim has led strategic initiatives in innovative heart attack care, cardiac surgery technology, smart infusion pumps, electronic medical records, and TeamSTEPPS training. He has published clinical research on improved outcomes improvement through application of innovative cardiopulmonary bypass technology.

Mr. Donnelly is a member of an executive team that has led the design, construction and opening of the Magee Women’s Hospital at UPMC Hamot and a new Patient Care Tower, which features 64 state of the art critical care beds.

In 2020, the UPMC Hamot Emergency Department earned a second ED Lantern Award from the Emergency Room Nurses Association. In 2021, under Jim’s leadership, UPMC Hamot achieved Magnet® designation for a second time from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

In August 2021, UPMC Hamot celebrated the establishment of a new branch campus of the UPMC Jameson School of Nursing at UPMC Hamot.