Upstate University Hospital CEO Robert Corona, DO, MBA, has been named to the 2023 list of 101 academic medical center CEOs to know.

The list appears online from Becker’s Hospital Review.

According to Becker’s the executives featured on this list are “trailblazers in the healthcare arena. Their leadership results in groundbreaking research discoveries, innovative clinical trials and superior patient experiences." The list was compiled from nominations.

Corona, was named CEO of Upstate University Hospital in January 2019, after serving as interim CEO since March 2018. As CEO, Corona has helped usher in an era of collaboration and innovation with a vision of transforming the hospital on the foundation of four pillars: Quality of Care, The Upstate Experience, Advanced Teams and Technology, and Sustainability. Corona said the pillars are designed to keep the hospital at the forefront of the best care, but also to position the hospital for the future to better fulfill its mission of being a smart, innovative teaching hospital. 

Within the past year, Corona has accelerated the hospital’s use of drone and TUG robot technologies. Drones are being tested to provide drug delivery to nearby residents and to fly specimens to laboratories among the universities numerous buildings spread throughout Central New York.

TUG robots have been deployed throughout campus to deliver materials, medications, linens, meals and supplies to free up critical time for staff to focus on patient care.

Corona also has helped foster Upstate's leadership role in responding in the COVID-19 pandemic. Upstate was a leader in facilitating COVID testing for local communities, developing online and phone triage systems to answer questions about COVID from the public and sending much-needed staff to hospitals hard hit by the pandemic in the New York City area.

Corona has appeared on Becker’s lists before. He was named to the list of 100 CEOs in 2020 and was named to the list of 73 hospital CEOs from state’s hardest hit by COVID-19.

Prior to being named CEO, Corona led the development and implementation of the Upstate MIND (Medical Innovation and Novel Discovery) at the CNY Biotech Accelerator and was chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, medical director of Neuropathology and vice president for innovation and business development. Now as CEO, he continues as the John B. Henry Professor of Pathology and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs in the College of Medicine.

Corona also serves on the advisory board of Cornell University’s Institute for Healthy Futures.

Becker’s Hospital Review is a monthly publication for the health care industry providing information on business and legal news related to hospitals and health systems.