Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: In-Depth Conversation with Todd Wiesman of UMass Memorial Health Care
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Introduction
In this engaging episode of the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast, host Laura Dardo sits down with Todd Wiesman, the Assistant Vice President of Performance, Learning, and Education at UMass Memorial Health Care. With an impressive tenure of nearly 18 years at UMass Memorial, Todd shares his unique perspectives on navigating the complex landscape of healthcare human resources amidst evolving challenges and opportunities.
Background and Role at UMass Memorial
Todd Wiesman begins by providing an overview of his journey and the scope of UMass Memorial Health Care. Joining the organization in 2007 without prior experience in healthcare or human resources, Todd brings a fresh operational and consulting perspective to his role.
“I bring an operations point of view as well as I worked in consulting. So it’s kind of what are the frameworks we need to use to think about the programs that we create.”
— Todd Wiesman [00:31]
UMass Memorial is a large healthcare system based in Worcester, Massachusetts, encompassing an academic medical center, community hospitals, and a community-based behavioral health program, supporting a workforce of 20,000 employees.
Current Trends in Healthcare HR
When discussing current trends, Todd identifies three significant areas that are shaping the future of healthcare human resources:
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Workforce
AI is transforming the healthcare workspace by influencing workload prioritization and reducing administrative burdens, which is crucial in addressing healthcare burnout.
“AI is built into all big systems at this point... it’s built into things like epic, your health record, it’s built into your ERP, something like Workday.”
— Todd Wiesman [01:55]Todd emphasizes the importance of joint learning between the workforce and management to harness AI effectively while addressing concerns about data privacy, liability, and job security.
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Balancing Financial Recovery, Organizational Growth, and Integration
Healthcare organizations are simultaneously managing financial recovery, expanding their workforce to support this recovery, and integrating consolidated systems and policies.
“We are trying to cut costs. At the same time, we’re trying to invest in people and grow.”
— Todd Wiesman [04:00]This multifaceted approach requires HR to navigate potential conflicts and ensure that growth initiatives support financial stability.
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Innovative Care Delivery Models: Hospital at Home and Patient Monitoring
UMass Memorial’s Hospital at Home program serves approximately 3,400 patients, providing hospital-level care in their homes. Additionally, around 1,000 patients are monitored at home for chronic conditions, aiding in early detection of deteriorations and reducing readmissions.
“It really helps us in terms of our hospitals... allows us to take more transfers from other hospitals as well.”
— Todd Wiesman [05:00]These models not only enhance patient care but also optimize hospital resources and capacity.
Workforce Transformation for New Care Models
Transitioning to models like Hospital at Home requires reconfiguring the workforce to meet new demands. Todd highlights the need for employees who thrive in home settings, possessing unique competencies and the ability to adapt to less controlled environments.
“How do we get people with the right competencies, the right aptitudes and the right attitudes to do that work?”
— Todd Wiesman [07:37]
This involves meticulous recruitment and training to ensure that staff are equipped to handle the nuances of home-based care.
Current Focus and Future Initiatives
Looking ahead, Todd is particularly excited about:
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Skills-Based Hiring
Addressing persistent healthcare workforce shortages by expanding the talent pool beyond traditional qualifications.
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Improving Caregiver Retention
Enhancing employee well-being and respect to mitigate the high turnover rates exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Data-Driven Decision Making
Leveraging data to inform HR strategies, including developing benchmarks and dashboards for organizational insights.
“HR departments must continue to provide more and more data to the business to make decisions.”
— Todd Wiesman [09:49]
These initiatives are pivotal in building a resilient and adaptable workforce capable of meeting future challenges.
Proud Achievements: Scientific Approach to Attrition
One standout project Todd is proud of involves adopting a scientific methodology to understand and reduce employee attrition. By analyzing specific timeframes and implementing targeted communications, UMass Memorial aims to improve retention rates.
“We need to do more experimenting. We need to probably be more scientific than we often are in HR in terms of going out and having a hypothesis.”
— Todd Wiesman [11:50]
This data-centric approach allows the organization to proactively engage with employees at critical junctures, offering support and opportunities that enhance job satisfaction and loyalty.
Advice for Evolving Healthcare Leaders
In closing, Todd offers insightful advice for current and aspiring leaders in healthcare:
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Adapt Leadership Styles
Leaders must evolve their styles to fit the modern healthcare environment, balancing financial stability, growth, and integration.
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Cultivate Agility and Culture
Developing an agile management approach and fostering a strong, positive culture are essential for navigating complex challenges.
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Leverage Data and Technology
Efficient use of data and technology is crucial for effective staff management and organizational success.
“They are going to have to balance those things. So really learning how to be agile as a manager, I think, is going to become increasingly important.”
— Todd Wiesman [12:33]
By focusing on these areas, leaders can ensure their organizations remain dynamic and supportive environments for both staff and patients.
Conclusion
Todd Wiesman’s insights provide a comprehensive look into the evolving role of human resources in healthcare, especially within a large and diversified system like UMass Memorial. His strategic focus on AI integration, workforce development, innovative care models, and data-driven HR practices underscores the critical steps necessary for building a sustainable and effective healthcare workforce. Leaders in the field can draw valuable lessons from Todd’s experiences and approaches as they navigate their own organizational challenges and opportunities.
This summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode featuring Todd Wiesman. For a deeper understanding and additional details, listening to the full podcast episode is recommended.