St. Tammany Health System 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.
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 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.”
“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, Ind. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Jurisprudence, with a focus on labor and employment law, from Tulane Law School in New Orleans.