Congratulations ACES 2024 Winner, Brett Bergman!

Each year, fewer than 1% of UPMC staff from across the health system are recognized for the Award for Commitment and Excellence in Service (ACES). It honors outstanding employees who exemplify UPMC’s five core values — Quality & Safety, Dignity & Respect, Caring & Listening, Responsibility & Integrity, Excellence & Innovation — which are the foundation of all we do. These life changers exceed the high level of service that our patients, members, and the community have come to expect from UPMC.

Brett Bergman Senior Product Manager, Digital Solutions, was recognized as a 2024 ACES winner! Get to know Brett and the reasons he was nominated for this prestigious award.

Brett is a senior product manager for the MyUPMC and Find-a-Doc platforms, and is a member of a small team that supports all technological and product operations. His focus area has been to make the digital front door more patient-friendly though online scheduling by working with a variety of service lines across the UPMC system.

A Pittsburgh native, Brett graduated from Villanova University with a degree in electrical engineering and earned his graduate degree in biomedical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a “boomerang” at Enterprises, first working on the former Clinical Tools team from 2016-2017, then returning to the organization in 2021 to his current position on the MyUPMC team.

Outside of his work at UPMC Enterprises, Brett has a passion for his “side hustle” as an active referee for the NFL.

Q: What is your favorite part of your job?

I really enjoy working with groups across the system, outside of our UPMC Enterprises team, to build solutions to fix patient and operational challenges. Collaborating with administrators from these services lines requires our team to deeply learn about other operations. Patient needs are always unique – our job is listening to end users and stakeholders to translate their needs into real solutions.

Working through that process to identify constraints and challenges is interesting. It is very fulfilling to use our framework to be able to create something that accomplishes our shared goals. The relationships I have fostered drive fulfillment and meaning into what we do every day.

With these system connections in mind, some of my favorite experiences in this role have been going on-site to clinics to walk through the patient process. Sometimes we may get far into our own work here that we can lose sight of its impact from a system standpoint. It is an incredible opportunity to bridge the gap between our office work in Bakery Square to build the technical solutions, and then to see the real impact for patients and care givers on the front lines. I am proud to be part of a team that plays a part in making a difference for UPMC patients.

Q: What motivates you to go above and beyond in your work?

I am inspired by the people around the system that I get to interface with as I hear their challenges first-hand. They can at times be stressed, overworked, and frustrated. It definitely fuels my fire to find a way to build digital solutions that help improve the daily life of our staff and patients alike. It makes me want to work harder or go out on a limb for the person, practice, or services line in need.

Our team has gotten great feedback because others are very appreciative of the extra effort we put in. I am so appreciative for our team and their passion and dedication. Caitlin Kelly is our captain and north star – she is a fantastic leader who ensures we are focused on what’s most important. Jamie Miros is my wing-woman – she is amazing at facilitating crucial conversations and implementing broader ideas. We are a tightknit group that gets a lot done.

Q: How does it feel to be an ACES winner?

I was very surprised to learn I had been given the award – it could have been anyone on our team for the incredible work they do. We all have made wonderful contributions to the UPMC system as employees. Reading my nomination really hit home; it was nice to look back and see how some of the things I have spearheaded or been a part of over the last few years have been seen by others. It is just incredible to be recognized in this way.

I see the amount of hard work that happens throughout the system to advance patient care. To be recognized as somebody that stands out in that same regard is really humbling and I am honored to also hold that title.

Hear from some of Brett’s colleagues who nominated him for this year’s ACES Award.

“Congratulations, Brett! I can’t think of anyone who deserves this more. You continue to be an incredible partner for our service line, operational, and IT stakeholders as we work to increase digital access. We always knew we worked with an ACE and now everyone does too!” Caitlin Kelley, Director, Product Management, Digital Solutions

“Way to go, Brett! Congratulations on becoming an ACES winner, very much well deserved! Our team wouldn’t be complete without your collaboration, knowledge, and innovation. You make our jobs easier with the work you do and we’re grateful for you!” Jamie Miros, Associate Product Manager, Digital Solutions