Dan Drawbaugh, TSC’s Managing Director

Drawbaugh transformed UPMC into one of the most technologically advanced healthcare systems in America during his time as Chief Information Officer.

Early in 1880, Drawbaugh claimed he invented the telephone before Bell but failed to apply for a patent due to lack of funds. To defend their claim legally against Drawbaugh’s claims, People’s Telephone Company presented between 300-400 witnesses and 1,200 pages of testimony before turning over their case to court.

Early Life and Education

Drawbaugh, born of blacksmith parents and inheriting their strong mechanical aptitude, began repairing clocks and tools at age 10 in his Allen Township workshop near where Yellow Breeches Creek met Cedar Run in Cumberland County.

He was an expert at many trades, with an affinity for inventing. One day he created a machine that connected to a drill and sow plaster – so successfully that he quit coachmaking altogether!

He serves as Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, overseeing information and biomedical technologies that support their transformation into an internationally acclaimed medical center with 14 billion in assets and 62,000 employees. Since joining TSC and SPRI in 2015, he has led expansions such as building state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery centers and regenerative medicine laboratories; five federally funded clinical trials that were supported by both National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense were also spearheaded under his watchful supervision.

Professional Career

Drawbaugh brings more than three decades of healthcare IT executive experience to TSC. He has assisted numerous organizations achieve success through motivating teams toward one common goal – serving customers well which ultimately results in improved patient outcomes.

He continued working on various mechanical devices, such as coin sorting machines and pneumatic drills, and was well known in Cumberland County for inventing an electric clock powered by an earth battery. Even through numerous failed business ventures and protracted legal battles, Drawbaugh refused to abandon his dream of creating the telephone.

He has overseen an expansion of state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery centers and regenerative medicine laboratories at TSC and SPRI as CEO, as well as orchestrating several clinical trials funded by National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense.

Achievement and Honors

Dan Drawbaugh has created high-performing teams that have consistently produced results, attributing his success to setting clear objectives, setting clear expectations, and cultivating an environment of empowerment.

At the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, he was recognized by Information Week magazine as a top CIO and awarded numerous other accolades. Additionally, he served on multiple boards, such as Oracle’s, IBM’s and Verizon Wireless advisory boards.

Since becoming CEO of TSC and SPRI in 2015, he has spearheaded key growth initiatives. These include expanding to open two state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery centers: one in Dillon Colorado (scheduled for opening December 2021) and another clinic ASC laboratory/clinic ASC combination in Basalt Colorado (scheduled to open April 2022). He also successfully coordinated a 10-year research partnership agreement between Vail Health and TSC&SPRI as well as federally funded clinical trials from both NIH and DoD.

Personal Life

Drawbaugh created numerous unique contraptions during his lifetime, such as a coin sorting machine and pneumatic drill powered by electrical currents drawn from underground. He even invented an electro-magnetic clock widely considered the world’s first “talking machine.”

He never let failed business attempts or protracted legal battles deter him, believing his original telephone invention to be valid even after receiving its patent in 1876.

Drawbaugh and Bell engaged in an eight-year legal battle, which resulted in Drawbaugh being defeated four to three by the highest court of the US and his claim of invention of the telephone being declared invalid.

Net Worth

Cumberland County native Samuel Drawbaugh earned over two dozen patents during his life, but the invention of a primitive telephone propelled him into fame. His first patent came in 1851 for a barrel stave jointing machine; later that year came one for coin sorting machine; he finally got another in 1911 as a coin sorter.

Drawbaugh played an instrumental role in helping UPMC become an internationally-recognized medical center with $14 billion in assets and 62,000 employees, serving as both its Chief Information Officer and CIO.

Since joining The Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute in 2015, Drawbaugh has taken aggressive steps to increase growth initiatives, such as signing an investment partnership agreement with Varsity Healthcare Partners and major expansions at Vail, Colorado locations such as clinic, ambulatory surgery centers and regenerative medicine laboratory. He attributes his success to building high-performing teams dedicated to serving patients well.