In this powerful episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, Luke Carignan sits down with Kelly Martin, Vice President and CHRO at Texas Health Resources, to explore what it truly takes to lead large-scale HR transformation in one of the nation’s largest health systems.

With over 23 years at Texas Health Resources, Kelly has grown from an entry-level employee relations role to the organization’s top HR leadership position. Now, she’s spearheading a bold “HR Evolution”—centralizing transactional functions into a service center, building a competency-based career pathing system, and positioning HR as a true strategic partner to operations.

Kelly pulls back the curtain on:

• First-Year Retention Challenges – Why retention rates for new hires, especially nurses, remain a critical concern across healthcare, and how Texas Health is tackling it head-on.
• Recalibration Over Layoffs – How she managed to restructure over 180 HR roles without mass job loss, creating new opportunities and clear development pathways for her team.
• Balancing Technology and People – Implementing systems like ServiceNow while ensuring the human side of HR remains central to workforce engagement and culture.
• Partnering with Operational Leaders – Aligning HR goals with business outcomes to improve culture, engagement, and retention.
• Leading with Empathy and Accountability – Delivering tough messages with compassion and transparency while keeping focus on the future vision.

From building trust with leaders to forecasting workforce needs, Kelly shares the practical strategies and leadership mindset required to thrive in the evolving healthcare landscape. She also offers candid reflections on resilience, adaptability, and “playing offense” in HR rather than staying reactive.

Whether you’re a healthcare HR leader, executive decision-maker, or operations partner, this episode delivers actionable insights on workforce strategy, change management, and the critical role HR plays in organizational success.

📢 Quote to Remember:
"We cannot fail at this. It’s too big. And with the right team and leadership support, we won’t." – Kelly Martin

🎧 Tune in now to learn how bold vision, strategic alignment, and genuine care for people can transform HR into a driving force for healthcare excellence.

From our sponsors...

Unlock Pharmacy Plan Potential!

Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

Contact RxBenefits today to learn more: https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

Support the show

In this powerful episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with Carrie O'Dell, Chief Human Resources Officer at Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, for a candid and inspiring conversation about what it truly means to lead with courage, authenticity, and vision in today’s healthcare environment.

With over 25 years of progressive HR leadership, Carrie brings a grounded, people-first approach to shaping cultures that thrive, even in times of crisis. From redefining onboarding to confronting workplace trauma and burnout, her leadership philosophy is rooted in creating space for transparency, vulnerability, and action.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🛠️ From Reaction to Reimagination
Carrie shares how her team moved from putting out fires to building long-term people strategies aligned with organizational values and why HR can’t sit back and wait for change.

💬 Communication as a Leadership Imperative
Carrie unpacks her team’s approach to courageous conversations, fostering an environment where listening, speaking up, and mutual trust are prioritized.

💡 HR's Role in Organizational Healing
Whether navigating the fallout of a tragic workplace incident or responding to systemic burnout, HR has a crucial role to play in helping teams heal. Carrie shares what worked, what didn’t, and why showing up matters.

🧩 Designing HR With Intentionality
From recruitment to retention, Carrie discusses how her team evaluates every process through the lens of employee experience, and how this mindset shift drives engagement and retention in the post-COVID healthcare era.

🌱 Personal Growth as a Leadership Tool
Carrie gets real about her own leadership evolution, stepping into uncertainty, managing self-doubt, and learning to lead with heart while driving measurable outcomes.

💬 Memorable Quote:
"People aren't just looking for a job anymore. They're looking for purpose, safety, and a place they can be heard. HR leaders have the power to build that."

🎧 Tune in now to hear how courageous HR leadership can shape the culture, resilience, and future of healthcare organizations across the country.

From our sponsors...

Unlock Pharmacy Plan Potential!

Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

Contact RxBenefits today to learn more: https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

Support the show

In this deeply moving and high-impact episode of The ASHHRA Podcast, Bo and Luke are joined by Maureen O’Brien, CEO of the Global Wisdom and Leadership Forum, keynote speaker, cancer survivor, and self-proclaimed “Sales Sage.” Together, they explore the powerful intersection of leadership, sales, mindset, and purpose in healthcare HR and beyond.

This is not your typical sales conversation.

Maureen shares transformative insights on how HR professionals can build internal sales acumen to effectively pitch strategic initiatives to executives like CEOs, CFOs, and Boards. She introduces the concept of the “18-inch vertical drop”… connecting head and heart, and how tapping into authentic communication is key to winning support for HR-led projects in today’s complex healthcare environment.

💥 What You’ll Learn:

• Why every HR leader is in sales (even if you don’t call it that)
• How to use empathy and active listening to influence key stakeholders
• Tactical advice for presenting ideas that stick, without 900-word slides
• The critical role of discovery before design or delivery
• The risk of relying too heavily on relationships in vendor partnerships

Maureen’s powerful perspective as a stage-four Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor brings unmatched depth to her philosophy of living and leading with intention. She shares her commitment to honoring “one more day,” offering a blueprint for resilience, gratitude, and making every conversation count.

Whether you’re a CHRO presenting a benefits overhaul or a talent acquisition pro trying to align leadership on a tech investment, this episode will elevate your approach. You'll walk away with actionable tools to lead with heart, speak with clarity, and drive real outcomes—no matter your job title.

🔑 Key Quotes:

• “Sales is just a swear word for service.”
• “Mindset is your superpower—use it with intention.”
• “Discovery is the most important part of the process. Design and delivery should never come first.”

🎯 Perfect For:

• Healthcare HR professionals
• Organizational leaders managing change
• Sales professionals in complex B2B environments
• Anyone seeking purpose-driven leadership development

🎧 Tune in and learn how to shift your seat to the other side of the table, speak the language your stakeholders understand, and ultimately become the kind of leader (and human) who gets the right things done for the right reasons.

📖 Bonus: Maureen’s book, 26 Points of Light, shares her journey through cancer, featuring contributions from her caregivers and family. All proceeds support cancer research and patient care.

From our sponsors...

Unlock Pharmacy Plan Potential!

Your employees expect top-tier medical benefits, like comprehensive care access. But how can you balance these expectations against rising costs, across your full benefits portfolio? Did you know that hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions each year than other industries? How can you tell if all those prescriptions were needed, or if you could have had significant cost savings by filling at your own hospital pharmacies?

Contact RxBenefits today to learn more: https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Simplify screening, credentialing & compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global. Built for healthcare HR leaders. Learn more & get started here: https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

Support the show