Ruth J. Lee, DNP, MS, MBA, RN, NEA-BC

Vice President of Nursing and Patient Care Services, University of Maryland Medical Center

Ruth J. Lee, DNP, MS, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, is the Vice President of Nursing and Patient Care Services for the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). In this role, Dr. Lee focuses on quality and performance improvement, nursing operations, program development, Magnet designation, regulatory compliance, and patient experience for several clinical departments, including surgery, cardiac surgery, neurosciences and women's and children's services.

Prior to her new role, Dr. Lee worked for Inova Health System in Virginia, where she led Inpatient Services as Senior Director of Nursing and Adult Inpatient Services at Inova Alexandria Hospital. During her 11-year career at Inova, Dr. Lee led teams and nursing units, developing numerous quality improvement initiatives. Prior to that role, Dr. Lee oversaw Inova's neurosciences' outpatient centers, requiring management of nine, distinctly separate neurology and neurosurgery specialty practices. Previously, she directed the cardiac patient care units in Inova's highly regarded Heart & Vascular Institute at their Fairfax Medical Campus.

Before joining Inova, Dr. Lee provided care for patients in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, managing patient care services in the PACU and Ambulatory Surgery. Dr. Lee began her nursing career in UMMC's surgical intensive care unit more than 20 years ago.

Dr. Lee earned her BSN from the University of Virginia, an MBA from the University of Baltimore, and her masters and doctorate in nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She has served the University of Maryland School of Nursing in various capacities, and was the Alumni President from 2019-2021. Dr. Lee received the University of Maryland, Catalyst for Excellence Award for the School of Nursing in 2020 for her volunteerism, advocacy, and philanthropy for the School of Nursing.