Working in human resources (HR) for a health care provider is a unique and rewarding career: you contribute to delivering care to our patients by caring for the employees who care for them. Our team members in HR help redefine healthcare in a way that supports efforts to increase employee and patient satisfaction.

“Human resources in health care is different from other industries because the patient and team member are at the center of every decision,” says Shane Oommen, associate executive director of HR at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream and Forest Hills Hospitals. “Everything we do begins and ends with the patient through our team members, and I feel empowered to make a difference.”

Shane has been with Northwell since 2008 and has had opportunities to grow within his role while making a difference every day to support our team members and the organization. Although he works in a non-clinical capacity at the hospital, he ensures patient care is a top priority. “Working in health care allows you to have an opportunity to build relationships with remarkable people who truly care,” he says.

“During the past 13 years I have been fortunate to work with both leaders and team members who have helped shape my career at Northwell,” Shane adds, noting that the guidance he has received helped him develop into a strategic HR business partner. “The culture at Northwell allows team members to think differently, gain new experiences, and grow your career.”

As associate executive director, Shane focuses on three key areas of HR: organizational development, human capital management, and relationship management. “As a HR professional, you need to be a people person,” he says, “and at Northwell we have a great team of HR professionals who understand our team member and candidates.”

During COVID-19, Shane and his team worked tirelessly to ensure the HR organization was prepared to continue delivering the highest levels of service. “At the height of this pandemic we were all living our values and I knew that I could depend on my colleagues when we needed each other the most. Developing and executing plans and strategies to ensure our patients were cared for during and beyond this difficult time has been rewarding.”

When you join Northwell Health you are a part of a Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® as well as a community that creates change. “Working for an organization where I am supported and cared for is also an important part of my job,” Shane says. “I am humbled by that and proud to be part of this amazing HR team.”

Posted with permission. Copyright © 2021 Leaders Magazine, LLC.

EDITORS’ NOTE Since joining Northwell in 2008, Maxine Carrington has served in progressively responsible leadership roles and has successfully driven team member engagement and development at every layer of the health system. Most recently, she served as deputy chief human resources officer where she was responsible for the design and implementation of strategic initiatives related to the team member experience, career and performance development, change management, workforce diversity, equity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility and compensation. She previously held several regional and site HR roles. Prior to joining Northwell, Carrington was a manager and attorney with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations. In addition to mentoring within and outside of the organization, she is an instructor with the Center for Learning & Innovation, Northwell’s corporate university, and serves as a co-sponsor of the organization’s business employee resource groups. She is also a trustee of the 1199 Pension Fund serving employees for the New York Region and serves on the board of The INN (Interfaith Nutrition Network), a not-forprofit organization that provides essential services to assist those challenged by hunger, homelessness, and poverty. Carrington holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Africana studies and a master’s degree in educational administration and policy studies from the University at Albany in New York. She obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from New York Law School.

How has the role of the chief human resources officer evolved?

As companies and organizations have evolved over time with an emphasis on culture, people and technology, the landscape has become more competitive and there is an increased need to elevate efforts to attract and retain talent. We are committed to caring for our patients, but it starts with caring for our people and providing an atmosphere where they want to work and stay so that we can fulfill our mission. The human resources officer needs to be engaged in business strategy and not just have a seat at the table, but have a voice at the table. Northwell’s focus on caring for our people has been at the forefront this past year in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We increased our efforts to support the well-being of our 76,000 team members and we have seen the impact of those efforts in our increased employment engagement numbers and recent elevation from #93 to #19 on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list. We are now working to make sure we sustain this momentum in caring for the well-being of our people.

You mentioned culture. How are you able to maintain culture with the size and scale of Northwell Heath?

The first priority is to define the culture and we do this by starting with our mission, behavioral commitments, and values. We refer to our values as the “trulys” – to be truly compassionate and truly innovative, for example – and this bonds the organization across our 76,000 team members. We have many locations and each has a local culture, but they are all connected by our Northwell mission and values. We work to ensure sustainment of our culture through our hiring, selection, recognition and compensation practices.

How critical is it for Northwell Health’s workforce to mirror the diversity of its patients and the communities it serves?

Our President and CEO, Michael Dowling, makes it very clear that this is of great importance and has his commitment. He recently discussed with me the need to more effectively surface diverse talent in the organization. We created a team within Northwell about a year and a half ago called Fair Employment Practices and in addition to a focus on immigration, they lead our workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. Many other teams also play a role – it is a comprehensive and integrated strategy. Key objectives include preventing bias in the hiring process, driving organizational commitment, and increasing the representation of underrepresented groups in leadership. Parallel to that focus is a major commitment to inclusion. While we can increase representation, if people don’t feel that they have a voice and that they belong, we will not be able to retain that talent. We have invested heavily in education with an inclusive leadership course, unconscious bias training and cultural competency education. We will be expanding our impact by providing equity, diversity and inclusion education for family members of our team members. We are also driving these efforts at our medical school and experiencing positive outcomes. There is a strong voice and commitment from our dean in partnership with faculty, students and a dedicated physician leader to attract and support our diverse student population.

You devote your time as an instructor at the Center for Learning and Innovation, Northwell’s corporate university. Will you discuss the mission and impact of the Center?

It was Michael Dowling’s vision many years ago to have our own university. The university is comprised of our Center for Learning and Innovation (CLI) and the Patient Safety Institute (PSI). PSI is about ensuring quality patient care and safety outcomes. CLI houses enrichment learning, leader preparation, development programs and more. Its offerings include emotional intelligence, coaching and conflict management. The Center provides an opportunity for our team members from all over the organization to connect, learn and grow together. We continue to evolve the work of the Center to ensure that its programs and offerings are relevant and supporting the organization’s needs.

Northwell Health was on the front lines of the pandemic and treated more COVID patients than any other health system. How proud are you to see the strength and resilience of your team members during this challenging and uncertain time?

Proud is an understatement. I would not work anywhere else. We have a saying at Northwell – “I am made for this.” We also have a new branding campaign called “Raise Health.” The work that we have done for years, especially around culture development and emergency management, enabled our people to be made for this and they demonstrated their character, selflessness, courage and resilience during this unprecedented time. It is a privilege and honor to raise the standard of health alongside them.

Northwell Health is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment where people from all backgrounds are accepted, celebrated and respected. Discover a career well cared for here.

Northwell Health launched a pilot student veteran mentorship program to deliver career insights and share life experiences between veterans and students. With the initial program pilot, two participants from St. Joseph’s College, who were in their junior and senior year of college studying computers and biology, were paired with two veteran mentors in our organization.

The program goal is to give students who served in the military insight into our organization and help them to learn various career paths based on their major. With plans to expand, the program is expected to continue to grow both mentor and student participants on a semester basis.

One of the mentors was Andy Roberts, senior director of corporate social responsibility in Human Resources Solutions, who helps plan for emergencies and ensures Northwell is ready for anything. Andy is also an Iraq war veteran who served in the U.S. Army. “I understand that the transition from military to civilian life can be challenging and I was eager to support the Student Veteran Mentorship program when I heard about it,” he says. “Mentorship programs offer insight into different careers and highlight opportunities many people may not normally be able to gain otherwise.”

Andy also gained a great deal during the program from his student. “Mentors can be reminded of the sacrifices our veterans have made and being a mentor can help you reinforce your own skills while providing a fulfilling opportunity to give back to someone making a career change.”

Northwell Health supports our veterans with a wide range of resources and opportunities for service members as they transition from active duty to civilian life as we strive to serve our patients, communities, and each other.

Make the transition to a civilian career with Northwell Health. Learn more about our commitment to veterans.

Happy Healthcare Human Resources Week to all of our HR professionals at Northwell Health! Our HR professionals play an important role in caring for our team members as they care for our patients. Click through the photos below to meet some of the professionals who work across a variety of team to support our organization and learn why they love working in healthcare HR.

Discover a career well cared for at Northwell Health. Apply today!