PAT DAVIS-HAGENS

Pat Davis-Hagens earned a reputation as a change agent after she presided over a successful turnaround at the Mercy Health Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati. When she was tapped for another such transformation, this time in Virginia, Davis-Hagens offered a measured promise to the senior leaders of the Bon Secours Mercy Health system: “I’ll come and give it a try.”

The task that awaited Davis-Hagens as president of the Bon Secours Hampton Roads market became less daunting once she arrived. “I was touched the minute I got here,” she says. Nearly three years into her tenure, Davis-Hagens has implemented successful initiatives from her Cincinnati days, including a program to reduce turnover among registered nurses.

She’s also sought ways to thrive in an “extremely competitive” market that’s undergoing a lot of growth. One such example is the 98,000-square-foot Bon Secours Harbour View Hospital slated to open next year in Suffolk. 

It was her willingness to try something in high school that opened the door to a career in health care. At the suggestion of Sister Mildred at the Catholic high school she attended, Davis-Hagens and a friend started working as nursing assistants at a skilled nursing facility. “That piqued my interest a lot,” she says.

These days, visiting any of the Bon Secours sites is an instant reminder that the nearly 5,000 caregivers she oversees can and do transform the lives of their patients. “I’m most proud of the fact that we’re creating a vision for the Bon Secours Hampton Roads market.”

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