Meet the Innovators: Nurse executive explores the art of possibility, optimizing care for colleagues and patients

Welcome to “Meet the Innovators,” a series of stories and video conversations profiling the leaders and frontline change agents working in and with HCA Healthcare’s department of Digital Transformation and Innovation (DT&I). Learn how they got to where they are and how they are helping to build the future of patient-centered care. 

Meet Erica

Time with family has always been Erica’s cherished treasure. Growing up with two working parents and often splitting her days between visits with her favorite aunt and her own family, she developed a deep appreciation for meaningful moments shared with others, even during the most difficult of times. When a devastating diagnosis struck one family member, the experience would bring her entire family closer and shape her passion for structure, innovation and caring for others.

Her young cousin’s cancer diagnosis created a new priority for Erica, adapting to change with a focus on care. Her family rallied together as they experienced the constant rhythm of being in and out of hospitals, alongside healthcare system barriers. Throughout those years, one constant always held her attention: the compassion and commitment to care excellence shown by the physicians, nurses and care team supporting her young cousin.

Calling: Shaping an innovator

Erica’s team of clinical heroes grew throughout her childhood and young adult years. She encountered a powerful circle of care wrapped around her grandmother and high school best friend, both diagnosed with cancer. Through those experiences supporting family and friends, Erica became intrigued by medicine and the science of caring for people.

Eventually, all roads led to nursing school, and that first rotation was her game changer. Watching the charge nurses and leaders working in sync, managing teams and bringing the full continuum of care together, she was hooked. If she could find a way to combine her passions for patient care and system organization with her unique ability to see healthcare in a different light, the opportunities for care optimization would be limitless.

Driving innovation for care team optimization

Today, Erica Rossitto, MBA/HCM, BSN, RN, is senior vice president and assistant chief nurse executive for HCA Healthcare, where she helps lead more than 100,000 nurses across 191 hospitals and 2,500 ambulatory sites of care — advocating for them, driving clinical excellence and supporting their professional development. In her more than 20 years with HCA Healthcare, she has been integral in recruiting and retaining nurse colleagues and using technology and data to streamline care delivery models.

Erica also serves as business unit sponsor for the Care Team Optimization (CTO) domain in HCA Healthcare’s department of Digital Transformation and Innovation (DT&I), which focuses on enhancing patient care, streamlining operations and optimizing business processes through advanced technology and data systems. Alongside Sarah Bryant, MSN, RN-BC, vice president and CTO domain leader, and Brett Rungwerth, CTO business unit co-sponsor and vice president of performance improvement at HCA Healthcare, Erica works to transform how care teams operate — creating digital technology solutions that reduce administrative burden and keep clinicians at the bedside with patients.

Together, the CTO leaders drive DT&I work to develop technologies like HCA Healthcare’s Nurse Handoff tool – designed by nurses, for nurses – which uses generative AI to help improve the shift-change handoff process that is critical for patient care and safety. Nurses actively participated in the development and training of the AI-powered tool, ensuring it meets their needs for accuracy, relevance and ease of use.

Nurse Handoff has been piloted in eight hospitals across more than 40 medical surgical units. Early adoption is promising, with strong participation and excitement leading to high engagement rates with the tool. Importantly, nurses have shared that they feel more supported, more confident and more prepared to provide high-quality care around the shift-change handoff process.

Video: Meet the innovator

Learn more about how Erica is impacting digital transformation and elevating the voice of the nurse in this video interview with Dr. Mike Schlosser, senior vice president and chief transformation officer for HCA Healthcare.

Related article: Meet the Innovators: Chief Health Information Officer combines love of medicine and technology to change healthcare for good