C-suite conversations: Tamara Saunaitis, CHRO, UMMS
For this edition of C-Suite Conversations, Judy sat down with Tamara Saunaitis, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer at the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS). With decades of experience leading HR in major healthcare organizations, Tamara shares her insights on navigating leadership transitions, shaping a strong workplace culture, and addressing today’s most pressing workforce challenges, from burnout and hybrid work to AI in recruitment. Her thoughtful perspective reveals how UMMS is redefining employee experience and fostering a culture where people can thrive.
The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a private, nonprofit healthcare network based in Baltimore, Maryland. It is affiliated with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and includes 11 hospitals, a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers, and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties across the state.
Q & A With Tamara
Judy Kirby: Tamara, thank you for taking the time to talk to me today for our C-Suite Conversations series. You’ve been the CHRO at some very prestigious organizations. What advice can you offer about successfully moving from one organization to another in a leadership position?
Tamara Saunaitis: Every transition requires a bit of reinvention. Whether you’re moving into a new organization, a new department, or a new role, you must be willing to evolve, while also recognizing the value of what you already bring from past experience. For me, the real key is understanding the culture. Every organization has its own language, and it’s more than acronyms. It’s the phrases, priorities and “signature words” people use to describe what matters most. Learning that language helps you build trust and connection – the connective tissue that gives you credibility in a new environment.
And it matters because you will make mistakes when you arrive. Being culturally fluent makes those early missteps easier to recover from and shows your team that you’re invested in understanding who they are and how they work.
Judy: With all the changes in reimbursements, a lot of organizations are facing tighter budgets. How are you coping with that, and with employees asking for more benefits, money, and flexibility?
Tamara: In our surveys, compensation is always number three on the list of concerns. Team members will never turn down more money, but what truly shapes their commitment is whether they feel they belong and can thrive. We’re always going to be responding to questions of why we can’t pay more, but the real work is defining what makes you different as an organization.
At UMMS, that differentiation is purpose and community. People come here with a clear mission and purpose, and once they’re here, we focus on empowering them – creating a psychologically safe environment where they can grow, contribute and show up as their best selves. Our new Employee Value Proposition, “Unstoppable You” helps connect potential candidates to our purpose and culture. We’re leaning into that identity.
Judy: How are you communicating the employee value proposition down into the rest of the organization?
Tamara: It starts with clarity and repetition. UMMS’s communications and marketing team debuted a new Corporative Narrative earlier this year, and the Employee Value Proposition is a natural extension of that narrative. You’ll see the same connection to purposefully show up everywhere – in how we present ourselves on social media, our intranet and websites, and in the day–to–day interactions our team members have with leaders and colleagues. We’re also redesigning the entire first year onboarding experience, so new hires feel the brand from the moment they join us. And we’re aligning our core people processes to that same identity. We’re completely overhauling the performance management process to reinforce both our high-reliability culture and our commitment to psychological safety through a just culture model. It’s all part of creating a consistent, authentic experience where what we say about UMMS is truly how it feels to work here.
Judy: Wow. That’s a big project.
Tamara: Yes! And the work resonates with both potential candidates and current team members.
Judy: I hear a lot these days about physician and clinician burnout. There have also been articles about HR burnout. What are you seeing in terms of burnout in your department?
Tamara: Burnout is a reality across every part of healthcare. The pressures of work and home don’t stay in separate lanes, so we shouldn’t pretend there will ever be a world where people never feel stretched. The question is how we respond.
For the HR team, the volume of initiatives is significant. We may not be able to change that, but we need to be clear about our priorities. Not everything can be top priority, but we can sequence and manage the work, so our team members aren’t carrying the weight of competing demands all at once.
We also need to make it easier for people to get what they need to do their jobs – where they need it, when they need it, and on any device. Whether it’s access to job standards, operating procedures, or policies. Reducing friction reduces burnout. That’s why we’re making it easier for our teams to access what they need, including rebuilding our systemwide intranet and modernizing access to HR information and processes.
We also invest in emotional support. UMMS has a very strong program called RISE, staffed by trained team members who respond when colleagues experience trauma or distress – whether from a patient event, workplace violence or something internal. They wrap around the person or team immediately, and in the days and weeks that follow. It’s a powerful way we help people recover, not just endure.
Judy: How are you using AI in hiring, and how effective has that been?
Tamara: We’re early in our journey and right now, we’re using very foundational AI to standardize interview questions, streamline workflows and help leaders prioritize requisitions that demand their attention first. When a manager has dozens of openings, reviewing them alphabetically or in a first-in, first-out order doesn’t make sense. AI can help us make those decisions in a more intelligent, efficient way.
We partnered with Phenom, to implement their technology and talent platform. Whether or not we will use all of the AI that’s available, I’m not sure. We have to make sure the technology available aligns with our culture and our expectations for a positive candidate experience. So, we’re starting with the essentials and building thoughtfully from there.
Judy: CHROs right now are dealing with more different generations in the workforce than in the past, with different work ethics, and different expectations of work-life balance. How do you manage it?
Tamara: That’s a great question. It starts with recognizing that this isn’t just about generational differences – it’s about the full diversity of today’s workforce. People naturally bring different preferences, communication habits and expectations to work. You can’t design for one group and hope it fits everyone. You have to create structures, resources and access points that are equitable across the board.
Where we anchor ourselves is with our frontline leaders. They’re the ones who can support people where they are and tailor their approach to the needs of their teams. That local leadership connection is critical.
Communication is the hardest part. There are so many channels now that it is easy for messages to get fragmented or lost. That’s why we keep a strong feedback loop in place. We analyze team member survey results across multiple demographics to understand the feelings, opinions and needs within those workforces. That helps us spot trends early and make targeted improvements – sometimes down to the unit or department level.
Judy: Does that seem to be working well for you?
Tamara: It is and we’re continuing to refine it as our workforce evolves. The good news is that the technology gap we used to talk about so much is rapidly closing. Ten years ago, you could draw clear lines between generations in terms of comfort with digital tools, communication platforms and social media. That’s just not the case anymore.
Across the board — including our baby boomers — people are far more tech-savvy and accustomed to working in digital environments. That shift makes it easier to communicate consistently and support people effectively, because we’re no longer designing programs for stark differences in capability. Instead, we’re customizing our solutions around preferences and expectations, which is a much more manageable challenge.
Judy: How much do you look at candidates’ social media and how is it affecting hiring?
Tamara: We use social media to recruit, but we don’t use it as part of a process to determine a candidate’s potential employment. I’d be curious to see if other organizations really are.
Judy: With some new hires not working out as you had hoped, have you implemented effective testing and interviewing techniques to make sure the right person is hired in every position?
Tamara: It’s an area we’re working hard to improve. Our overall turnover is below the national average, but first-year turnover, depending on the role, is higher than we’d like. That’s why we’re overhauling our entire onboarding experience and modernizing our talent acquisition process. We’re giving hiring managers better tools to help them assess candidates more accurately. But there isn’t one single explanation for early turnover. It’s a combination of fit, clarity of expectations, and the reality of the work. One of the most effective steps we’ve taken is introducing voluntary job shadowing in high-turnover areas. It’s not mandatory, but it’s powerful. It helps candidates experience what the job is like, meet potential colleagues, and make informed decisions about choosing UMMS.
Judy: So, what would you suggest if somebody wanted to get into HR and get to your level in healthcare? What have you learned along the way that’s made you so successful?
Tamara: Well, number one is don’t say no to any opportunity. If somebody asks you to take on a project, take on the project. Find the courage, even if you don’t think you can do it, because you’ll learn something valuable along the way. For HR professionals to grow in their careers, I think embracing opportunities to learn about technology, like cloud-based structures and AI is a big piece. It is an ever-evolving landscape that is hard to keep up with, but it is essential for an HR leader to take an organization into the future.
Judy: If you hadn’t ended up in HR, what career would you have followed?
Tamara: Well, my dad always said I was supposed to be an accountant. And I am pretty good with numbers. But if I had to do it all over again, I’d seriously consider pursuing an opportunity in the culinary arts.
Judy: Oh, wow! What is your favorite food to cook?
Tamara: Chili. I know it’s not very sophisticated, but it’s my favorite. When I retire, I want to go to culinary school.
Judy: When you’re not working, or cooking, what else do you like to do?
Tamara: My husband and I love to take hikes, but that has taken a backseat since we welcomed our first grandchild in December. She’s such a gift and we enjoy every minute we get to spend with her.