Sutter Health is redefining what it means to empower and support healthcare workers at a time when hospitals and health systems nationwide continue to navigate workforce challenges like burnout.
Becker’s connected with Deborah Yount, CHRO of Sutter Health, to learn how the health system is aligning people strategy with its care delivery mission, elevating employee engagement and tackling staffing shortages.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Q: What is the biggest challenge facing the healthcare workforce today? How is Sutter Health addressing it?
Deborah Yount: The biggest challenge facing the healthcare workforce today is staffing shortages, which are often compounded by burnout, turnover, and low employee engagement. At Sutter Health, we know we have to think differently about our workforce to get ahead of staffing shortages today and in the future. That’s why our strategy is focused on ensuring Sutter is a great place to work, starting with a purpose-driven culture grounded in our mission: caring for our patients first and our people always. To deliver on that strategy, we have a two-pronged approach, which prioritizes the well-being of our caregivers and ensures they are supported and motivated to provide exceptional patient care.
- Retaining and Attracting Top Talent: We are committed to creating a purpose-driven culture where employees can thrive. This includes offering comprehensive total rewards, growth opportunities, and a safe work environment. As of September 2024, we successfully reduced overall turnover by 10.9% and first-year turnover by 40%. We also hired 2,600 nurses, reducing nurse turnover to 10.1%, well below the national average. Additionally, we streamlined our hiring process, increasing job applicants and reducing time to hire by six days and rolled out an enhanced onboarding process.
- Developing the Workforce of Tomorrow: We are investing in continuous learning and development programs to prepare our workforce for a rapidly evolving healthcare industry. In 2024, our accredited simulation centers conducted over 4,700 training sessions. We are also expanding academic partnerships to train over 1,000 physicians annually by 2030. And our NextGen Scholars program aims to support 5,000 high school students in pursuing healthcare careers.
By focusing on these areas, Sutter Health is developing robust talent pathways internally and externally, and at the same time, ensuring our teams are well equipped to deliver the best health outcomes and patient experience now and in the future.
Q: What specific strategies do you plan to implement to enhance employee engagement and retention at Sutter Health?
DY: We understand people want their work to have a greater purpose, they want to be heard, and they want to make a difference, so we actively engage with our team members to solicit feedback and involvement. Last year, 88% participated in our Experience of Work survey, showing improvements in feeling safe to speak up and recommending Sutter as a great place to work.
Our strategy steeped in employee feedback includes:
- Creating a Purpose-Driven Culture: We foster a welcoming, collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential, grounded in our values and our mission of caring for our patients and people.
- Providing an Optimal Work Environment: We’re investing in security technology and workplace violence prevention training, with a $45 million investment in security enhancements.
- Offering Comprehensive Rewards: Our total rewards package supports physical, emotional, and financial well-being, earning us national recognition as a great place to work, most recently listed on Becker’s “Top Places to Work in Healthcare.”
- Prioritizing Growth and Development: Through Sutter Health University, we offer robust learning and training programs, career pathways, and leadership development. Recent initiatives include training 245 Nurse Residency Program nurses and tripling the number of medical assistant students trained.
These strategies form the foundation of our efforts to engage and retain our people while attracting top talent.
Q: What qualities make a strong Chief HR Officer? How does leadership in this role help create a workplace culture that prioritizes employee well-being and exceptional patient care?
DY: The most effective CHROs understand the business, the industry and how to retain, engage and attract the best people aligned with the culture to drive strategy and achieve business results. They think for today and for tomorrow, building strategies that support individual and organizational success.
CHROs are not just HR experts, they are key strategic business partners who lead change. They are people-centric leaders who build relationships with a focused purpose. They are forward-thinking, anticipating trends and using data and insights to drive innovation. And they focus on their people’s experience across their journey—from recruitment to engagement and through the life cycle of their career—knowing when people feel cared for at work, they provide even better care to their patients.
Q: How will you align Sutter Health’s people strategy with its ongoing transformation and growth in the evolving healthcare landscape?
DY: As we grow and expand, bringing exceptional care to more patients across the communities we serve, we’re guided by curiosity and a growth mindset—continually learning, improving and exploring new ways to better support our patients and each other. Our people are pivotal to our success, and we are committed to listening and responding to what matters most to our teams while ensuring our people strategy aligns with our business goals. These focused efforts include proactively identifying staffing needs and internal talent; providing continuous opportunity for growth, development and learning new skills; and attracting new talent by making Sutter Health a best place to work, practice and grow careers in healthcare.
