The Patricia A. Tietjen, MD Teaching Academy is named in honor of the late Dr. Tietjen, Nuvance Health’s former Chief Medical Officer, and a beloved member of the community. Dr. Tietjen graduated from the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center and completed her training at St. Vincent’s and Memorial Sloan Kettering. Her career progressed, leading her to become President of St. Vincent’s Medical Staff and subsequently Chair of the Department of Medicine for Danbury Hospital. In 2020, Dr. Tietjen assumed the role of Chief Medical Officer at Nuvance Health, an administrative position held by only 3% of women in the field.

What made Dr. Tietjen most unique in this field was her genuine love for treating patients and collaborating with colleagues, especially interdisciplinary staff. Her career was driven by a deep desire to enhance the patient experience and improve staff engagement. Her remarkable contributions were recognized with the Richard J. Kennedy Attending Teacher of the Year Award four times. Dr. Tietjen was a passionate advocate for interprofessional education and held a profound vision of launching a Teaching Academy for clinical educators at Nuvance Health. It is both an honor and a privilege to bring Dr. Tietjen’s visionary dream of the Teaching Academy to life, and we sincerely hope she would be proud of the remarkable accomplishments in building our community of practice.