Management diversity, innovative projects, and growth of organization among selection criteria

A balanced budget amidst tough economic winds, more students than ever, and new programmatic offerings are just some of the major developments at the MGH Institute of Health Professions over the past year, and some of the reasons why President Paula Milone-Nuzzo has been named again to the Boston Globe Top 100 Women Business Leaders List. It's the third consecutive list Milone-Nuzzo has made; this year, she is ranked #49. 

“It's an amazing honor to be recognized for leading an organization that has such an incredible mission,” Milone-Nuzzo, now in her eighth year at the helm of the MGH Institute. “I think the honor is really for the organization and the leadership of lots of people, so I think it's important for us to highlight the impactful work that comes out of the IHP.”

Compiled by The Women’s Edge and its partner, The Boston Globe, the selection was made public at a breakfast gathering inside the Marriott Copley Hotel in Boston on Friday and the special section on this list was published in yesterday’s Boston Sunday Globe Magazine.

Among the new programs introduced over the last year: the Tuition Reduction Incentive Plan, which gives MGB employees a 40% tuition discount for many IHP programs.  Since its launch, the number of MGB employees attending the IHP has increased by 185; as of today, there are 1,698 students enrolled, the most ever. Overall, the IHP has added more than 400 new students.

The MGH Institute launched the Doctor of Health Science programs this fall, added a class for the accelerated baccalaureate degree in nursing (ABSN) program with a part-time option coming next fall, and will be offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences in 2026. 

“Followers of the Top 100 Women Business Leaders list are seeing what we at the MGH Institute have been seeing since Paula arrived seven years ago — that she is a strong and innovative leader who’s not afraid to make bold decisions,” said Jeanette Ives-Erickson, the Institute’s Board of Trustees Chair. “That’s why we have more students than ever, a growing academic portfolio, and stronger relationships within the Mass General Brigham system. The MGH Institute is more robust today than it has been in years, and that’s largely due to Paula’s leadership.”

Selection criteria included operating budget, revenue, workplace and management diversity, governing board makeup, and innovative projects during 2023. More than four out of five MGH Institute employees (81.5%) are women, as are 35% of its Board of Trustees. In addition, 20% of employees are women of color.

Over the course of her tenure, Milone-Nuzzo has supported employee participation in Leadership Women America, developed student leadership through the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Fellows program, and offered flexibility in the workplace.

“Our commitment to student success and focusing on that is really important,” said Milone-Nuzzo, who joined the IHP in August of 2017. “We also need to support a workforce that feels like their job is valuable and is important to our mission. For me, it’s all about the people, and making some hard decisions around creating efficiencies that have supported the excellence that we're seeing today.”

Milone-Nuzzo joins eight other Mass General Brigham leaders who were also honored: Anne Klibanski, President and Chief Executive Officer of MGB; Denise Schepici, President and Chief Operating Officer of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital; Lynn A. Stofer, President of Mass General Brigham Community Physicians; Marcela G. del Carmen, President of Massachusetts General Physicians Organization and Executive Vice President of MGB; Roxanne Ruppel, President & Chief Operating Officer, Salem Hospital; Ellen Moloney, President and Chief Operating Officer, Newton-Wellesley Hospital; Amy Lee, President, Nantucket Cottage Hospital; and Heather O’Sullivan; President, Healthcare at Home. 

The Women’s Edge — formerly known as The Commonwealth Institute — is a Boston-based nonprofit organization devoted to advancing women in leadership positions. This is the 24th year it has released its Top 100 list, which was created through a nomination process and includes for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. The MGH Institute is the only degree-granting affiliate of Mass General Brigham.

“I've said this before — this is the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses, right?” Milone-Nuzzo asked rhetorically, uncomfortable with taking any credit. “So, it's really focused on the work of the organization. This is really about what the organization produces, our commitment to our mission, and our commitment to improving the lives of the people in the Greater Boston area.”

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