Kaleida Health

02/24/2022 | News release | Distributed by Public on 02/24/2022 18:12

Klass to Serve as Interim President of BGMC/GVI

Klass to Serve as Interim President of BGMC/GVI

Updated: 2/24/2022

Cheryl Klass, MBA, BSN, RN, former executive vice president and chief nursing executive (CNE) for Kaleida Health, will return to the organization to serve as the interim president of Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute.

Klass will temporarily fill the role for Chris Lane, who is leaving the organization March 11 to become president and CEO of Virginia Hospital Center System in Arlington, Virginia.

"While we wish Chris well in his new endeavor, we are very pleased to have Cheryl return," said Bob Nesselbush, CEO of Kaleida Health. "She has a demonstrated track record of operational leadership here, is very well known to the organization and can lead the Buffalo General team during the transition."

Klass announced her retirement from Kaleida Health in the summer of 2021, capping a 45-year career in nursing leadership, hospital operations and healthcare administration.

She has agreed to come back on an interim basis until Lane's successor is named. A national search for the position is being conducted by Korn Ferry and is expected to be complete by mid-summer.

Named Kaleida Health's chief nursing executive in 2016, Klass is credited for creating, organizing and overseeing the organization's first ever nursing plan of excellence. The plan included improving nursing operations, nurse engagement and care quality.

Klass came to Kaleida Health in 2004 when she was recruited to serve as president of the then Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo. It was a homecoming of sorts as she originally launched her nursing career at the Byrant Street facility as a staff registered nurse in 1977.

In December 2011, Klass was appointed senior vice president of operations, Buffalo General Medical Center, which also includes the Gates Vascular Institute and HighPointe on Michigan. She also oversaw Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo at that time as well.

Klass began her career as a registered nurse at Children's Hospital of Buffalo in 1977, but quickly advanced into nursing leadership roles that included director of the pediatric, surgical and critical care divisions of the hospital.

She also eventually served as the chief nursing officer of Children's Hospital for many years before relocating to Chicago in 1993 to accept the role of chief operating officer for Children's Memorial Medical Center, part of the Northwestern Healthcare System.

Klass returned to Buffalo in 2000 and served as the chief operating officer of Mercy Hospital of Buffalo and chief operating officer of Sisters Hospital of Buffalo, as well as vice president of Women's Health for the Catholic Health System, before returning to Children's in 2004.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Niagara University and her Master of Business Administration from the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

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