Kyrene Ward
Human Resources
Greenville,SC
Summary
Accomplished HR professional with progressive human resources and leadership experience who cultivates and executes innovative strategies with clear communication. Proven ability to build relationships, successfully navigate conflict, collaborate and implement strategy, provide exceptional communication, and drive the people side of the business forward. Strengths include building relationships, listening, conflict management, and partnering with key stakeholders to accomplish organizational goals.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President, People Operations
Chapters Health System
06.2022 - Current
- Successfully integrated 3 acquisitions encompassing the addition of 2,000+ employees.
- Led successful RFP for new benefit vendors and offerings. Integrated five separate benefit offerings and programs into one system-wide program.
- Launched a wellness + retention program.
- Standardized HR processes and workflows across 8 affiliates.
- Developed and implemented best practices, standardized KPIs, and dashboard metrics for each HR service line.
System HR Director
Bronson Healthcare
01.2020 - 06.2022
- Responsible for ensuring effective system-wide communication to employees and leaders regarding HR and general Bronson updates.
- Oversight of fair treatment/grievance process and outcomes for the organization.
- Served as HR leader for Incident Command throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including responsibility for leading the childcare response team. This included standing up 4 daycare locations within one week for our employee's children as well as development of a financial assistance program to support employees who had childcare but incurred additional costs due to varied hours of need and/or having to enroll school aged children. The daycare locations and financial assistance program were both functional for just under two years.
- Successful oversight of a reimagined performance appraisal process, including the development of system-wide key behavior expectations.
- Invested in relationships and partnerships with community organizations, colleges and universities, and training programs that created 20+ new recruitment pipelines.
- Developed several leadership courses as part of a Leadership Pathway curriculum: Leading an Engaged Workforce, Leading Strategically, and Leading with Consistency.
- Oversight of CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) team that supported emotional well-being for employees.
- Over the last 10 years, successful oversight of reimaging the performance appraisal process twice.
System HR Manager, Employment + Employee Relations
Bronson Healthcare
12.2012 - 01.2020
- Oversight of employee relations team including grievances, re-structuring, unemployment, reductions in force, ADA accommodation requests, and all claims.
- Six-year trend of improvement in Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) placement goals over nine separate plans.
- Supported organization through union decertification process.
- Selected for Financial Sustainability team in 2019 – my team had a 3.8M improvement goal. In 16 weeks, we successfully identified and implemented 5.5M in green dollar savings.
- Co-chair through two union negotiation cycles.
- Successful integration of 5 acquisitions over the course of 10 years, taking our workforce from 3,500 to over 9,000.
- Co-Presented ‘Creating Value Through Workday Implementation and Realizing Value Post Go-Live' at Workday Rising Conference in Chicago, Illinois.
- Introduced and led the adoption of lead principles across the HR functions. Some examples of what was implemented and remained in practice were daily huddles, visual tracking of initiatives, HR scorecard and ideas in motion.
Employee Relations Specialist
Bronson Healthcare
02.2010 - 12.2012
- Completed in-depth investigations into issues pertaining to discipline, grievances, general workplace claims, discrimination, and sexual harassment.
- Developed robust training programs for leaders related to employee relations and team oversight.
- Answered management and employee questions, interpreted contracts, and resolved conflict within the workplace.
- Equitable and respectful planning and facilitation of reductions in force, severances and/or department re-organizations as warranted.
- Responsible for resolution following leave exhaustion, ADA requests, unemployment claims, and pay inquiries.
IRB Coordinator
Bronson Healthcare
09.2007 - 02.2010
- Managed all incoming protocols for review and approval by the IRB Committee.
- Facilitated protocol changes and coordinate investigator requirements with the FDA and DHHS's regulations and guidelines.
Staff Assistant
Bronson Healthcare
02.2005 - 09.2007
- Assisted Clinical Outcome Coordinators with scorecard data, improvement initiatives and analysis of procedural outcomes.
Education
Masters of Arts - Healthcare Administration
University of Phoenix
Remote05.2008
Bachelor of Science - Interdisciplinary Health and Human Services
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI12.2006
Skills
- Personnel Management
- Strategy Development
- Change Implementation
- Employee Relations
- Leadership
- Critical Thinking
- High Pressure Situations
- Collaboration
- Relationship Building
- Communication
- Training and Mentoring
- Adaptability
Committees
- System Service Council
- Community Health Needs Assessment
- CACC Health Science Advisory
- System Health Equity of Care Performance Improvement
- Talent Development Workgroup
- Preventing Workplace Violence Committee
- SOGI Workgroup
- Workday Governance
- Compliance Committee
- People Council
- System Health Equity of Care PI Committee
- Retirement Plan Committee
- Position Control
References
- Char Aardema, Bronson Healthcare, Privacy Officer, (269) 377-3297
- Lea Hammond, Gallagher Bassett, Employee Relations Partner, (269) 598-2321
- Diane Luyendyk, Bronson Healthcare, EVS Director, (269) 377-6565
- Kelly Daniels, Chapters Health System, Director, Talent Management, (269) 350-1966
Timeline
Vice President, People Operations
Chapters Health System
06.2022 - Current
System HR Director
Bronson Healthcare
01.2020 - 06.2022
System HR Manager, Employment + Employee Relations
Bronson Healthcare
12.2012 - 01.2020
Employee Relations Specialist
Bronson Healthcare
02.2010 - 12.2012
IRB Coordinator
Bronson Healthcare
09.2007 - 02.2010
Staff Assistant
Bronson Healthcare
02.2005 - 09.2007
Masters of Arts - Healthcare Administration
University of Phoenix
Bachelor of Science - Interdisciplinary Health and Human Services
Western Michigan University
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