Overview
After 35 years of dedicated service at UCSF spanning several departments, Sue Forstat will retire at the end of June.
Sue began her UCSF career in 1991 as a nurse in the Parnassus AIDS Clinic during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
From the outset, she was driven by a deep commitment to ensuring patients received not only medical care, but dignity and compassion. She also contributed to efforts to establish specialized care for women and children living with HIV, helping to expand inclusive and responsive services.
In 1998, Sue transitioned to the Cancer Center’s GYN Oncology Clinic, where she provided care and case management to patients navigating cancer diagnoses. She continued to broaden her impact in 2001 by joining the UCSF Communicable Disease Prevention program. There, she helped develop and pilot an innovative online health screening program for researchers, improving occupational safety and supporting regulatory compliance. At the same time, she served students through Student Health Services, offering both care and health education.
In 2006, Sue joined Human Resources and the Health Care Facilitator program, where she currently serves as Director of UCSF Health Care Facilitator & Cope programs as well as Director of HR People Wellness Strategic Initiatives. She has played a central role in expanding access to care for UCSF employees, strengthening support for navigating health insurance, and increasing access to mental health services.
Throughout her career, Sue has been a leader in advancing equity and inclusion. She co-chaired the UCSF LGBTQ+ Committee, helped implement the California Gender Recognition Act and UC’s Gender Recognition and Lived Name policy, and led initiatives supporting undocumented employees and COVID vaccine equity. Her contributions earned her the Chancellor’s Award for LGBTQI Leadership in 2016 and the Chancellor’s Award for Exceptional University Service in 2022.
More recently, Sue played a key role in launching and relaunching UCSF’s Cope program, ensuring accessible well-being and mental health resources for employees and trainees. She also led the employee benefit workstreams for the three recent hospital acquisitions, Hyde, Stanyan and Oakland.
“Sue has exemplified what it means to lead with compassion, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to equity and inclusion," said Jeff Chiu, VP/Assistant VC of Talent Management. "Beginning with her work on the front lines of the HIV/AIDS crisis, she has delivered care during one of the most challenging times in modern medicine with dignity and humanity. From my experience, what stands out most is Sue’s strategic thinking, her incredible focus, and her deep commitment to ensuring our employees have access to the healthcare they need and deserve. Sue will be greatly missed—not only for her leadership, but for the compassion and thoughtfulness she brings to her work every day. I am excited for Sue as she begins this next chapter in retirement.”