COVINGTON – St. Tammany Health System has announced the appointment of Christopher Ford, SHRM-SCP, as its senior vice president of Human Resources.
He replaces the retiring Carolyn Adema, the health system’s longtime HR chief who steered the organization through an unprecedented period of explosive growth.
Ford, a 16-year veteran of human resources in the healthcare sphere, comes to St. Tammany from Ascension DePaul Services in New Orleans, where he served since August 2019 as its vice president of Human Resources and Organizational Development.
Before that, he was vice president of Human Resources for Appalachian Regional Healthcare in Kentucky and Human Resources director for At Your Service Home Care in his native Indianapolis.
“We will miss Carolyn dearly and will not ever forget her steadfast guidance over the years, but at the same time we’re excited to have found someone who can help us make a seamless transition as we build for the future,” St. Tammany Health System President and CEO Joan Coffman said.
“Christopher brings to us not only a deep knowledge of human resources but a keen understanding of, and appreciation for, our community-focused mission,” Coffman added. “I am certain St. Tammany Health System will benefit from his expertise and leadership. Indeed, the Northshore region as a whole is lucky to have him on our home team.”
As senior vice president of human resources, Ford will oversee the second-largest workforce in St. Tammany Parish. Additionally, he will head up its ongoing recruitment strategies.
“My goal here is to maintain our presence as a ‘best place to work,’” Ford said, a reference to the health system’s recent recognition as one of New Orleans CityBusiness’ Best Places to Work in New Orleans for 2022.
Ford is a Senior Certified Professional of the Society for Human Resources Management. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Jurisprudence, with a focus on labor and employment law, from Tulane Law School in New Orleans.
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About St. Tammany Health System
The heartbeat of its community, St. Tammany Health System cares for patients and families with excellence, compassion and teamwork. It is nationally recognized for quality, safety and service excellence by CareChex, Leapfrog, Healthgrades, Hospital Compare, Women’s Choice and US News & World Report. The health system is home to 281-bed St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 1, three diagnostic centers and 12 medical clinics throughout western St. Tammany Parish. Self-supporting, not-for-profit STHS is AA- rated by Fitch and receives no tax funding. More at StTammany.health.