Her Story
About Mary
Mary Wisniewski has dedicated 52 years to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in Pittsburgh, PA, beginning her career in 1974 after completing an associate degree in laboratory medicine. She started as a lab technician at Shadyside Hospital, advanced to managing multiple clinical laboratories, and later joined the Donald Wolf Center for Quality and Innovation where she focused on safety, regulatory compliance, and enabling process improvements for staff and patients. Wisniewski earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in healthcare communication in 2015, supplemented by a certificate in data visualization and storytelling from Purdue, and she has taught health campaigns and health communication at the University of Pittsburgh. Her work includes developing programs such as the Surgical Pause, which earned her a Medal of Achievement from the United States Veterans Affairs Department for diffusion of excellence, along with UPMC awards including the ACE's Award and the Richard Simmons D Award. She has been published 20 times on topics related to improving patient care and attributes her success to a lifetime of continuous learning while emphasizing values of honesty, transparency, and trustworthiness in her professional interactions.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mary
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say it's always a lifetime of learning new things. I have never been satisfied. I've probably been in school more than I haven't been in school. I just got a certificate from Purdue on data visualization and storytelling last year. That really makes a difference. And that's why I love to do change management, because there's always new and better ways of doing things. We just have to keep seeking them out.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of my great mentors, Ray Bazzilla, told me it's kind of a cliche quote that you have one mouth and two ears for a reason. Listen more. And I took his advice. So I try to be a good listener and not a big talker.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Confidence. You have to have the credence in yourself. And when you feel confident, you're able to make changes. Having your confidence, and a smile. Look for the positive that you can pull out of people. Be credible, they'll listen to you when you develop that credibility factor. And be confident in yourself, and smile.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
AI is something with potential but also a little troublesome. I see the potential in it because we used machine learning to develop algorithms, but you have to be so careful with these things and we need to think for ourselves. I don't want to see people lose that piece of humanity to solve a problem.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty and transparency. Those two are so critical, you know, as we're working with patients. Be able to speak to physicians, be able to speak to patients with the truth. And being transparent. Trustworthiness. I really emphasize that one too, because if people do not trust the person that's asking them to change something, they won't change. That's been the secret in my sauce, the ability to gain people's trust.
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