HAP's 2025 Workforce Summit
June 12, 2025
HAP’s 2025 Workforce Summit was held today in Harrisburg, with an opening keynote and a conference focused on strategies for health care administrators to develop and support their teams. The event showcased innovative approaches to developing new career pathways, attracting and retaining talent, and training the next generation of providers.
Here are some key takeaways.
Lisa Walden, co-founder, Good Company Consulting, discussed ways to communicate and foster a positive work environment among different personality types in health care settings. She emphasized the need for “compassionate leadership,” and a “human first mindset” in the workplace.
Hospital leaders need to embrace the mindset that goes from “great culture is a bonus, to great culture is essential,” said Walden.
N. Benjamin Frederick, MD, director of the Global Health Center and 3PA Area Health Education Center, Penn State Health, emphasized the importance of recruiting students from rural areas to study medicine, as they may be more receptive to working in rural communities after graduation. He estimated that two thirds of rural students will end up working in rural settings.
Heather Major, executive director, Independence Blue Cross Foundation, and Marie Ann Marino, EdD, RN, FAAn, dean of Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing, discussed the pathways veterans can take to pursue meaningful educational opportunities. A veteran herself, Marino explained that military service instills qualities desirable in the health care workforce, such as adaptability, calmness under pressure, precision, and communication skills.
Employers find that “veterans are not only capable but transformative,” in a work setting, she said. Military service is not just a “pipeline but a leadership strategy,” for employers who hire veterans, said Marino.
Cheryl Krieg, MSN, RNC-OB, maternal clinical nurse educator, Penn Highlands DuBois, presented ideas about the ANCC Pathway to Excellence survey process and staff engagement.
Kira Rupert, BSN, RN, nurse educator for surgical services education, UPMC, and Tykarra Yearby, CST, CRCST, director of the surgical technology program, Central Penn College, discussed the progression of launching a surgical technology program in partnership with hospitals.
Alicia LaPalombara, MSHCPM, director, digital health solutions; Lynn Kosar, DNP, MS, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC, NE-BC, chief nursing officer (pictured above); and Sara Angelilli, DNP, MS, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC director, clinical nursing operations, all of Allegheny Health Network Forbes Hospital outlined the value of digital care integration in improving nurse satisfaction and patient outcomes.
Chris Chamberlain, MS, RN, CHEP, HAP’s vice president, emergency management, moderated a panel on leadership strategies for violence prevention in health care. Panelists included: Paula Agosto, RN, MHA, senior vice president and system chief nursing officer, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Casey McDermitt, senior director, employee health & safety, WellSpan Health; Stephen Mould, workplace violence prevention coordinator, Jefferson Health Lehigh Valley Health Network; and Erin Marinchak, senior director nursing services, Reading Hospital, Tower Health.