Healthcare HR executives recognized at 2021 HRO Today Summit

The inaugural Healthcare HR Leadership “Front of the Front Line” Award winners were announced at the 11th annual HRO Today People in Healthcare Summit on Nov. 11. Proudly sponsored by Cielo, the No. 1 healthcare RPO provider, this award celebrates exceptional HR leaders who have supported their people, and ultimately their patients, with winning talent strategies designed to attract, engage and retain mission-driven talent.

The award, arranged in four unique categories, included 12 finalists in total. Cielo’s client partners won in two categories (winners in bold) for serving their people and managing under stressful conditions in 2020 to assist front-line staff:

Lifetime Achievement:

• Eric Humphrey, SVP – CHRO at Froedtert Health
• Matthew McElrath, CHRO at Keck Medicine of USC
• David Cook, SVP – CHRO at TriHealth 

Sustainable Workforce:

• Paula Just, CHRO at Health First
• Cecilia McKenney, SVP – CHRO at Quest Diagnostics Health
• Kara Greer, VP – CHRO at Tufts Medical Center

“Congratulations to each of the finalists, all of whom drove innovative initiatives that are supporting their employees’ wellbeing and safety, as well as meeting their organization’s talent challenges during this demanding time,” said Staci Roberts, President of Cielo Healthcare. “Under their outstanding leadership, their teams have had a significant impact on their organization’s ability to pivot and meet the demands of the pandemic and ensure patients always receive quality care."

The award will be bestowed yearly at the popular People in Healthcare Summit, an annual educational event focused on talent acquisition, engagement, performance management, and employee development in the healthcare arena. This year’s summit highlighted true excellence in healthcare HR leadership that effectively implemented programs to keep medical workers engaged to fight burnout, staffed crucial positions, and deployed new ways of working within days or weeks. The significant impact HR has made in the healthcare industry has never been more prevalent, and this award will continue to honor those doing this important work.