Kathleen “Kat” DeGeiso is an accomplished healthcare executive whose career has been defined by transformational leadership, operational excellence, and an unwavering commitment to improving the organizations and communities she serves. With more than twenty years of progressive experience in healthcare leadership, Kat has built a reputation for guiding hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and integrated health systems through periods of significant change while consistently strengthening culture, performance, and patient outcomes. Her ability to unite physicians, executives, frontline caregivers, and governing bodies around a shared vision has made her a trusted leader capable of navigating complexity with confidence, empathy, and strategic insight.
Throughout her career, Kat has embraced opportunities that demanded both visionary leadership and disciplined execution. Rather than simply managing operations, she has consistently been called upon to redesign systems, optimize organizational performance, implement emerging technologies, and cultivate environments where people can perform at their highest level. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that every system reflects the thinking that created it, and that meaningful transformation begins by asking better questions, empowering people, and building trust across every level of an organization. This philosophy has shaped every leadership role she has held and continues to guide her approach to organizational development.
Currently serving as System Director of Surgical Services for Northern Nevada Health System, Kat leads enterprise perioperative strategy across multiple hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. In this executive role, she oversees complex surgical operations, develops long-term capital strategies, builds physician partnerships, evaluates service-line growth opportunities, and collaborates with executive leadership on organizational redesign and patient safety initiatives. Her responsibilities extend well beyond operational oversight, encompassing strategic planning, executive decision-making, workforce development, and the continuous advancement of high-quality patient care. Her ability to balance financial stewardship with clinical excellence has positioned her as an influential leader within one of Northern Nevada’s leading healthcare systems.
Prior to her current appointment, Kat served as Executive Director for USPI’s Swift Surgery Center, where she was responsible for governance, physician engagement, financial performance, and strategic planning for a multispecialty ambulatory surgery center. Earlier, as Executive Director of Summit Surgery Center at Saint Mary’s, she successfully introduced the Perioperative Surgical Home model, expanded Advanced Practice Provider integration within pre-admission testing, redesigned perioperative optimization programs, and strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration. Her leadership at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Barton Health, Carson Valley Medical Center, Northern Nevada Medical Center, and Renown Health further demonstrates an impressive progression of increasing responsibility and enterprise influence across healthcare operations.
Kat’s career is distinguished by an exceptional record of leading transformational initiatives that have produced measurable and lasting organizational impact. She has successfully directed the planning and implementation of three enterprise Electronic Medical Record conversions while leading strategic acquisition and deployment of multiple Da Vinci Surgical Systems, MAKO robotic platforms, and VELYS robotic technology. She has modernized enterprise anesthesia programs, transformed sterile processing operations, operationalized new operating rooms from shelled space, redesigned pre-admission testing through Advanced Practice Provider integration and financial counseling, and developed innovative workforce strategies that improved flexibility, efficiency, and clinical excellence. These accomplishments reflect her ability to translate complex strategic initiatives into operational success while maintaining a steadfast commitment to exceptional patient care.
One of Kat’s defining strengths is her ability to serve as a bridge between clinical expertise and executive leadership. Having spent years working directly with patients before advancing into executive roles, she possesses a unique perspective that enables her to understand organizational challenges from both operational and human viewpoints. Her expertise in mediation, organizational alignment, and execution allows her to facilitate productive conversations among physicians, executive teams, governing boards, and frontline staff while creating consensus around shared objectives. This rare combination of empathy and decisiveness has consistently allowed her to navigate complex organizational challenges with integrity and professionalism.
Beyond operational leadership, Kat has become recognized as an advocate for innovation, leadership development, and sustainable organizational growth. She believes the greatest organizations are built by developing leaders who think differently, challenge conventional assumptions, and inspire those around them to reach their full potential. Her passion for helping leaders discover new possibilities extends beyond healthcare operations into broader organizational transformation, where she encourages systems thinking, strategic innovation, and collaborative problem-solving. As a public speaker, she enjoys presenting on integrating strategy, leadership, and organizational development, helping audiences understand how stronger systems emerge when innovation serves people rather than processes alone.
Kat’s influence also extends through her service to the broader healthcare community. She has served on the Saint Mary’s Health Network Board of Directors, previously participated on the Saint Mary’s Advisory Board, volunteered with the Northern Nevada Nurses of Achievement Program, and contributed to the Washoe County Interhospital Healthcare Coalition. She remains actively involved with the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), maintaining valuable professional relationships and staying engaged with emerging trends that continue shaping the future of healthcare delivery. These experiences have expanded her governance perspective while reinforcing her commitment to servant leadership and continuous professional development.
International exposure throughout Australia and New Zealand has broadened Kat’s appreciation for diverse healthcare systems and organizational leadership approaches. These experiences have strengthened her ability to evaluate complex challenges through multiple perspectives while fostering an adaptive leadership style that values collaboration, innovation, and cultural awareness. Combined with her extensive domestic leadership experience, this global exposure further enhances her ability to contribute meaningful strategic insight at the board level.
Outside of her executive responsibilities, Kat finds inspiration through hiking and spending time in nature, activities that reinforce the resilience, reflection, and balance she brings to both her personal and professional life. Her motivation for pursuing board service is deeply personal as well as professional. Having devoted her career to improving healthcare organizations from within, she now seeks opportunities to contribute at the governance level, helping organizations shape a more sustainable healthcare future for the next generation, including her own children. She believes boards have an extraordinary opportunity to influence long-term organizational success, and she is eager to leverage her executive experience, operational expertise, and collaborative leadership style to create lasting value for organizations across healthcare, technology, and related industries.
Kathleen “Kat” DeGeiso represents the rare executive who combines extensive operational expertise with strategic vision, compassionate leadership, and an exceptional ability to execute meaningful organizational transformation. Her career demonstrates that sustainable success is built not only through innovation and operational excellence, but also through trust, relationships, and a commitment to developing people. As she continues expanding her impact through board service, Kat brings organizations an invaluable combination of healthcare expertise, business acumen, systems thinking, and authentic leadership that positions her to help guide companies through both opportunity and change.
Character:
Kat leads with authenticity, integrity, and empathy, consistently placing people at the center of every organizational decision. She earns trust by fostering collaboration, demonstrating accountability, and building relationships that strengthen teams and organizations for the long term.
Knowledge:
With more than two decades of executive healthcare leadership experience, Kat possesses deep expertise in healthcare operations, organizational transformation, strategic planning, and clinical excellence. Her unique combination of frontline clinical experience and executive leadership enables her to evaluate complex challenges from multiple perspectives and develop practical, sustainable solutions.
Strategic:
Kat excels at aligning vision with execution by developing innovative strategies that improve organizational performance while advancing patient care and operational excellence. She consistently identifies opportunities for growth, modernization, and long-term value creation through thoughtful planning and disciplined implementation.
Communication:
A skilled communicator who effectively engages physicians, executives, governing boards, frontline caregivers, and community stakeholders. Her ability to facilitate productive dialogue, mediate complex issues, and clearly articulate strategic priorities allows organizations to move confidently through periods of transformation.
