As CEO of the University of Washington Medical Center, Ms. Buño is responsible for advancing its clinical excellence, research leadership and educational mission, including oversight of operations, strategic planning, capital and financial management, academic partnerships and community engagement. The dual-campus academic medical center is part of the broader UW Medicine system and serves as a regional and national referral hub for solid organ transplantation, cancer care, cardiac care, stroke, multiple sclerosis, robotics-assisted surgery and level 4 neonatal intensive care. The medical center has 9,000 employees and in fiscal year 2025 recorded 31,292 patient admissions, 420,547 clinic visits and 77,212 emergency department visits, while providing $502 million in uncompensated care. Since becoming CEO in September 2025, Ms. Buño has led new initiatives to improve access to patient care, increase capacity through more efficient use of resources and foster a people-oriented culture. She immigrated to the U.S. from India at age 16, enlisted in the Air Force a year later and went on to become a Navy intelligence officer before pursuing a leadership career in academic medicine. Ms. Buño was named a “40 Under 40” honoree by the Sacramento Business Journal in 2019.
