As Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Chief People Officer, Pamela Hernandez is dedicated to “showing up for the people who show up for the organization.” Through her daily advocacy, she actively supports employees, making them feel included and heard, and she builds valuable career growth and leadership opportunities for current employees and community members.
Hernandez is a powerhouse professional whose successful programs, such as second-chance employment and free English-language and Spanish-language classes for healthcare employees, are recognized throughout the region. Most recently, she was among the leaders selected for the 2024 Lehigh Valley Business Women of Influence Award. The honorees are celebrated for their career accomplishments, professional experience, community involvement, and commitment to mentoring.
“You will often hear me say, ‘We rise by lifting others,’ and I believe that 100 percent,” she said. “Each day, I work to fulfill my personal mission of not just employing people but also empowering people across the health system and in the community.”
Hernandez, who is also responsible for Patient Experience and Community Wellness Services, said her professional interests include employee recruitment, retention, and engagement. She is also deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is helping to expand those efforts throughout Tower Health entities. She particularly wants to ensure that the health system is reflective of the cultural experiences that make up the diverse employee population, while also providing quality care and understanding the cultural dynamics of our patient populations.
In her two years with Tower Health, Hernandez has challenged her Human Resources team to maintain responsive communications with employees, while updating policies to be more employee-friendly, and building additional career opportunities that can help both employees and community members excel.
For example, to address language barriers for employees and patients at Reading Hospital, Hernandez and her team partnered with community resources to develop free Spanish classes for healthcare employees, and 'English as a Second Language' classes for employees. In addition to improving overall communication, the classes are helping to foster a more positive employee and patient experience while expanding opportunities for understanding and inclusion. Hernandez is a strong believer that where an employee begins their career is not where it needs to end, and Human Resources plays a critical role in helping employees advance professionally within the health system.
“Pamela is committed to partnering with all employees. She leads with compassion and prides herself on listening and learning,” P. Sue Perrotty, CEO of Tower Health, said. “We are so proud to have her as part of our executive leadership team, and I congratulate her on this impressive award. It proves hard work pays off.”
Her teams have also developed the Tower Advanced Pay (TAP) program; revamped the annual employee evaluation system to provide for a more effective career discussion among participants; enabled Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training for managers across the system; worked collaboratively with the workforce on labor issues; and enhanced community health initiatives based on data from Tower Health’s Community Health Needs Assessment and Social Determinants of Health surveys.
“I believe people are worth believing in,” Hernandez said. “I’m a catalyst for change and a dedicated champion for employees’ needs and interests. But I credit our employees for always sharing their feedback, and my amazing HR team, most of whom were promoted internally. They have believed in my big ideas and helped to accomplish them for the benefit of our employees, patients, and the community at large. Together, we are making a difference and creating a lasting impact.”
About Tower Health
Tower Health is a regional integrated healthcare system that offers compassionate, high quality, leading edge healthcare and wellness services to communities in Berks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. With approximately 11,500 employees, Tower Health consists of Reading Hospital in West Reading; Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville; Pottstown Hospital in Pottstown; and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, in partnership with Drexel University. Tower Health is strongly committed to academic medicine and training, including multiple residency and fellowship programs, the Drexel University College of Medicine at Tower Health, and the Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences in West Reading. The system also includes Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing; home healthcare provided by Tower Health at Home; TowerDirect ambulance and emergency response; Tower Health Medical Group; Tower Health Providers, our clinically integrated network; and Tower Health Urgent Care facilities across our service area. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.