We want to help you get to know our regional and EWSH leaders better. We want to help you get to know our regional and E.W. Sparrow Hospital leaders better. In the next few weeks, we’ll showcase short introduction videos and responses to questions that highlight who these leaders are, where they came from, and what their priorities are as part of the regional and local structure of University of Michigan Health. And you may learn a surprising fact or two about them!
Our next profile is on Regional Chief Human Resources Officer Teresa Znidarsic. See her video below.
How would you summarize your new position?
As the Regional Chief Human Resources Officer, I am responsible for creating a Human Resources Department that meets the needs of our region, which includes University of Michigan-West, Sparrow and our combined medical groups. This will include ensuring we have on-site support at each of our organizations, as well as maximizing the talent and subject matter expertise across the region.
What are your top three goals for the region or the hospital?
Our immediate goals are to identify and implement a regional HR structure that will allow us to create a consistent caregiver/employee experience across the region. This will be important to allow us to recruit and retain our valued human resources. While we are all separate employers, it is important that we are providing a consistent employment experience at each of our sites.
We will continue to focus on workforce development, cultivating community relationships and creating pipeline development opportunities throughout the regions we serve.
Creating efficiency and maximizing the size of our combined organizations to reduce cost or receive enhanced services for the same costs for services we are already using – this is something that can be done by looking at the current vendors of each organization and either renegotiating a better rate or moving to a common vendor that provides a more favorable arrangement for each of the organizations.
Create a human resources workforce strategic plan and roadmap that identifies key areas of focus, initiatives, and target timelines. This is so critical to our industry, which is experiencing staffing shortages, and the need to ensure we are identifying opportunities to be innovative, providing grow-your-own development opportunities for our caregivers and creating a positive work environment that will be engaging and retain our learners and team members.
What is one thing you’ve learned about Sparrow and/or U-M West that surprised you?
I haven’t been surprised by anything yet. I have very much enjoyed learning and spending time at UMH-West and experiencing firsthand their very positive, patient-centered culture. In fact, I had the pleasure of attending UMH-West’s New Employee Orientation on Monday 9/25 and learned firsthand many of the components that contribute to their culture. It was an overall great learning experience and time well spent.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
>Helping to move the organization forward in a manner that will allow us to continue to provide enhanced access to quality care within the communities served by the region is very important to me. We are ensuring that our families and friends have access to this care – that is incredibly meaningful. Having the opportunity to partner with colleagues from UMH-West and Michigan Medicine allows us to expand best practices. I’m excited about the opportunity this provides us from both the employer and patient care aspect.
Where is your favorite place in Michigan to vacation?
I have two favorite places – one is Higgens Lake – we love to go there on weekends. It provides a true Up North feeling, yet is only a two-hour drive, making for a nice day or weekend trip. The other place is Mackinaw City – my husband and I camp there annually every October. There is nothing more beautiful than standing on the shore of Lake Michigan at night. The view of the Mackinac Bridge lighting up a sky already filled with stars is absolutely breathtaking.
What book or movie did you last read or watch?
Recently I watched the movie “Champions” streaming on Amazon Prime. In the movie, Woody Harrelson stars as a basketball coach who is ordered by the court to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. The movie was both humorous and heartwarming and provides a very refreshing perspective on the value of a team, the importance of relationships with our team members and the importance of celebrating steps to success along the way. It is always a great reminder you don’t have to win to be a champion. I highly recommend.