#167 - How Business Mindset Shapes Strong HR

In this episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, hosts Luke Carignan and Bo Brabo chat with Dana Bradley, VP of Human Resources at Silver Cross Hospital. With a powerhouse background in operations and leadership at top universities like UChicago, Rush, Northwestern, and GWU, Dana reveals how an ops mindset supercharges HR strategy in healthcare.

Key highlights include:

• Ops-First HR: The Ultimate Edge – Dana stresses starting in frontline ops shapes her "business person in an HR chair" approach, enabling bold questions at the exec table. Thought-provoking: Is your HR team operations-literate enough to drive strategic decisions?
• Challenging Norms for Growth – From pushing back on inventory tags to board "games" for prep, Dana shares how respectful challenges build better outcomes. Plus, the power of saying "I don't know" with confidence... key for credible leadership.
• Talent Wars & Total Rewards – In a competitive market, Dana's team innovates comp models (shoutout to her spreadsheet wizard!) to attract nurses and clinicians. Reflect: How are you ensuring your value prop wins the "yes" from top talent?
• Leadership Red Flags & Fixes – Spotting issues like leaders dodging employee engagement and lobbing problems to HR, Dana focuses on building clinical leadership skills. Empower managers to "do" leadership, not just learn it.

Dana's fresh take: HR's seat is prime for driving change; embrace it! What ops tweak could transform your healthcare HR game?

Join ASHHRA 2026 in Savannah, May 17-19—register at ashhra.org!

For AP3 Group Stop Loss Interest, contact ASHHRA Executive Director, Jeremy Sadlier at jeremy.sadlier@ashhra.org or 312.985.7062.