Geisinger names new Chief Nursing Executive
Since 2014, Tomcavage has served as Geisinger’s chief population officer, focusing on driving the transformation of how Geisinger delivers care.
“Nurses make a huge difference every day in the lives of our patients, and this new position reflects our ongoing commitment to nurses and to their professional growth,” said Jaewon Ryu, M.D., J.D., Geisinger’s president and chief executive officer. “Janet brings outstanding experience in the full scope of nursing and all aspects of inpatient and outpatient care, and I’m excited for her and for all our nurses as she transitions into her new leadership role.”
Tomcavage has spearheaded population health programs to achieve high-quality, affordable services for Geisinger’s patients and members. Recently, she launched Geisinger at Home, a home-based care model for our most medically complex patients. She has held various senior leadership roles, including serving as chief administrative officer at Geisinger Health Plan, where she oversaw the delivery of health services to our members, providers and the community.
Early in her nursing education, Tomcavage took care of a patient with diabetes who had significant chronic complications. That experience sparked her interest in special projects in school, led her to become a bedside nurse at a small community hospital in Maryland, and ultimately opened the door to her first role at Geisinger — a diabetes nurse educator who eventually kickstarted Geisinger’s diabetes program. That was 38 years ago.
“I have had so many great opportunities to create innovative, transformative programs that not only improved outcomes for the patients we serve in our communities but also served as examples for national care models. But we’re not done,” she said. “There is so much that Geisinger can contribute to solve health care’s largest challenges: the aging population and chronic disease management in our most senior patients; the social determinants of health; and destination care programs. And we need to solve the gaps in health care by growing, recruiting, and nurturing our nurses.”
Tomcavage earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Bloomsburg State University and her master’s degree in nursing from Misericordia University. She has coauthored numerous publications on patient-centered primary care, diabetes, disease management and the expanded role of nursing in healthcare.
Tomcavage was the first Geisinger nurse to receive the Pennsylvania Nightingale Award for clinical excellence in an advanced nursing role. She is an active member in several professional societies and has served in various leadership roles in the American Nurse Association, the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Alliance of Community Health Plans.
“I became a nurse and went into healthcare because I wanted to help people in need,” Tomcavage said. “Nurses serve in some of the most important roles in healthcare and make a difference every day in the lives of our patients. I’m excited to take the lessons I’ve learned along my journey from bedside nurse to educator to leader and help position Geisinger’s more than 6,500 nurses — in all positions, from LPNs to RNs to advanced practice nurses — for their own future successes.”
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
