Sylvie Umuhoza serves as the Senior Director of Academic Affairs at Sutter Health. Ms. Umuhoza is responsible for Graduate Medical Education (GME) at the not-for-profit network, including its GME strategic direction, integration, management and compliance. Ms. Umuhoza’s goal is a medical education infrastructure that helps serve the broader patient population and community, including those who were under-represented. In her role, she helps build trust through effective collaboration and works to develop a performance-oriented culture based on mutual respect and accountability. In partnership with GME executive leadership, she helps ensure GME strategy and operations closely align with Sutter Health's vision and mission.

Ms. Umuhoza joined Sutter Health as its first director of Graduate Medical Education (GME) in 2021, managing the successful launch of new major new teaching hospitals. She has developed a wide range of expertise and experience working across the healthcare provider spectrum, including private health systems, academic medical centers and public health entities. 

Prior to joining Sutter Health, Ms. Umuhoza was a manager at Germane Solutions, a national GME consulting firm. There, she led efforts with numerous clients within the strategy and health outcomes management practice, working with them on strategic prioritization and selection, service line program planning, partnership and network development opportunities, feasibility assessments and sustainability planning. During her time at Germane Solutions, she led efforts with Sutter Health and its affiliates on their journey to become teaching institutions, from initial strategy to program planning and development.

Ms. Umuhoza has assisted hospitals in securing federal planning and development funding for GME initiatives, collaborated with health systems on developing strategies to become teaching institutions, and effectively assisted hospitals and health systems in incorporating Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) care delivery models. Her experience and expertise in FQHC operations and regulatory requirements allowed her to identify effective partnerships and funding opportunities for clients.

Prior to her role at Germane Solutions, Ms. Umuhoza served as the business development and operations manager for an East Coast FQHC network operating six ambulatory care clinics, two dental clinics and a school-affiliated mobile health clinic. Her responsibilities included working with stakeholders to innovate healthcare partnerships and service models with an eye toward strategic growth opportunities.

Ms. Umuhoza has sat on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Strategic Planning Coordinating Committee with the Sacred Heart Schools Board in Kentucky, as well as belonging to the American Society of Public Administration section on International and Comparative Administration. She holds a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Public Policy Analysis from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a degree in English and International Studies with a minor in Philosophy from St. Louis University. She was born in Rwanda and lives in Sacramento.