Deirdre Salanger, MHA, a health care administrator with deep experience at high-profile urban health systems, will join URMC as chief operating officer of Strong Memorial Hospital beginning July 21.

Salanger, who is currently vice president of operations at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, fills the role held for 24 years by Kathy Parrinello, who became president and CEO of Strong Memorial and Highland hospitals in early 2024 and has managed COO duties at Strong Memorial until now. Maura Snyder was appointed COO of Highland Hospital in October 2024.

Parrinello said Salanger will bring to Strong Memorial an impressive combination of experience, leadership, and commitment to a positive work culture.
“Deirdre is a highly talented, enthusiastic leader who has accomplished a great deal early in her career at health systems very similar to ours in size and scope. She values collaborative problem-solving and is a mission-focused advocate for faculty, staff, patients, and families. I’m delighted to welcome her to Strong Memorial’s leadership team,” Parrinello said.

As Strong Memorial’s COO, Salanger will be responsible for a range of duties, including overseeing patient-care services, clinical departments and ancillary-support services; leading departments and service lines to support the strategic goals of the hospital; facilitating completion of major capital improvement projects; and fulfilling the hospital’s mission to deliver high-quality, patient- and family-centered care.

“I’m joining a great organization, and I’m very excited to be working with the accomplished leadership team at Strong Memorial Hospital,” Salanger said. “Working at a university-based health system has always been my professional focus. I’m attracted to the mission, the complexity, and the critical thinking that’s required at the University of Rochester. This is an opportunity to work with smart, engaged, and dedicated people to drive the organization forward.”

Salanger brings more than a decade of experience at large, complex systems to her new role. Since 2020, she has been vice president of operations at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital, an 877-bed, Magnet designated hospital that has a Level 1 Trauma Center, Level III NICU, over 30,000 acute discharges, and more than 80,000 ED visits annually. In that role her primary duties included oversight of all hospital ancillary support services, surgical services, cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology labs, and parking services. She also managed capital and construction projects across a 3.2M square foot campus and partnered with department leaders to promote and execute on quality and safety.

More People on the Move