Mary LaFrancois was placed as the regional chief human resources officer for Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, Ohio. Mount Carmel is the second-largest healthcare system in central Ohio, with over 1,200 licensed beds, one million annual patient visits, more than 8,500 associates and 1,500 physicians, and annual operating revenue of $1.5 billion. Mary serves as the senior HR leader for the system, with responsibility for the strategic and operational leadership of the human resources department, as well as the safety and security department.
Mary brings to the position more than 20 years of providing strategic HR leadership and vision in healthcare, consulting, and manufacturing environments. She is a collaborative servant-leader with the ability to successfully link strategic business and operational objectives to HR activities and initiatives. Mary is a positive, engaging, and action-oriented leader with a strong customer focus.
Before joining Mount Carmel, Mary served as the vice president of human resources for CHRISTUS Spohn Health System in Corpus Christi, Texas, the largest hospital system in southern Texas, with six hospital campuses and seven family health centers and a total employee base of approximately 5,200. In this position, Mary provided strategic and operational human resources leadership, with responsibility for a $7 million budget and oversight of HR, employee education, occupational health, staffing resources, childcare, the medical library, and patient satisfaction. Mary was with CHRISTUS for ten years, during which time she increased employee satisfaction and engagement, implementing an employee recognition program and reducing turnover; helped to create a regional shared service; grew the HR department to a total staff of 70; improved technology to assist HR; and worked through a number of construction and renovation projects, including the building of a new hospital and a new patient tower and the consolidation of one hospital into another.
Previously, Mary served as the director of compensation and benefits for the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation and the manager of human resources consulting for The Information House and Wegner, LLP, CPA in Madison, Wisconsin. She began her career in human resources roles in the manufacturing sector.
Mary is originally from Wisconsin. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in human resource management from Capella University’s online program. Outside of work, Mary enjoys reading, golf, exercise, and travel. She and her husband are the parents of two grown children.
