Human Resources Management

Kathryn M. Koepenick

** ***** ****** **** ******* MA 02032

************@*******.*** 202-***-****

Partners Healthcare

April 2011- Present

Partners Healthcare System is the largest employer in Massachusetts comprised of 66 thousand

employees. The system includes two major Harvard teaching hospitals, Massachusetts General

Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Manager, Employee & Labor Relations

April 2011 - Present

• Serve as a corporate management consultant and subject matter expert for Human Resource

professionals throughout the system on complex Employee and Labor Relation issues

• Provide support to Chiefs of Clinical Services and Hospital leadership on physician human resource

issues and complaint resolution

• Conduct sensitive investigations, prepare summary reports and presenting findings to leadership in

high stake employment matters

• Facilitate consensus building, decision making and conflict resolution while addressing complex and

sensitive employee relations issues

• Provide customized training to address a wide variety of topics including harassment, employment

laws, promoting a positive work environment, workplace violence and corrective action

• Conduct confidential assessments of a departments’ climate to determine relevant issues in response

to management, and human resources concerns or employee complaints

• Work collaboratively and extensively with both internal and external attorneys, providing both

litigation and labor support as well as working under their direction in attorney client privileged

investigations

• Prepare and respond to, in partnership with Hospital attorneys, Massachusetts Commission Against

Discrimination (MCAD) complaints

• Provide daily consultation and guidance regarding union collective bargaining agreements including

but not limited to discipline, grievance resolution, arbitrations, negotiations and other related labor

functions

• Serve as the corporate contact for union’s business agents

• Function as a lead team member on union negotiations with internal and external labor counsel.

• Prepare, interpret, process and educate changes to collective bargaining agreement post negotiations

Children’s National Medical Center

Washington, DC

Jan 1999- March 2011

Director, Employee & Labor Relations

April 2007-March 2011

• Manage the employee & labor relations function for a 5000 employee hospital including four labor

unions and an employed physician faculty group

• Oversee staff of four Employee/Labor Relations Consultants who are regarded as valued

business partners

• Collect and present to leadership metrics quantifying employee and labor relations’ volume,

severity levels and trends including grievances, corrective actions, external agency complaints

and litigation

• Implement hospital’s philosophy of “Just Culture” principles through application of decision tools

and adjudication of employment decisions

• Maintain cooperative labor relations through establishment of relationships built on trust and common

goals. Recognition of this fact is demonstrated through achievement of Magnet status

• Proactively identify and assess leadership/management gaps to ensure remediation, coaching and

performance management

• Reduce the number of legal and/or outside agency complaints through risk management

strategies and a cohesive Employee Relations program

• Serve as the point person to manage through complex employment situations and leadership

separations and physician counseling

Sr. Human Resources Consultant / Employee & Labor Relations

Jan 1999- April 2007

• Served a client base of 1500 plus employees providing generalist support including compensation,

benefits and training and organization development interventions

• Functioned as a consultant to leadership within client base on all strategic business initiatives that

impacted employees by providing support and counseling on complex transition management issues

• Collected and analyzed statistical data related to employment indicators such as turnover,

terminations, discipline, and general employment trends

• Served as a consultant to managers on employee relations issues such as employee performance and

behavioral difficulties, conflict resolution and management practices

• Managed the separation transition during reduction in forces and executive separations

• Presented training programs for managers on “Sound Employment Practices” covering employment

law issues including FMLA, ADA, sexual harassment, discrimination complaints, and worker’s

compensation

• Assisted in developing a new managers orientation to educate managers on the policies and

procedures, corrective action process, reward and retention initiatives and overall proactive employee

relations strategies

• Investigated all complaints of harassment and/or discrimination

• Prepared hospital’s response to EEOC/DC HR complaints and represented hospital at mediations

and/or hearings

• Coordinated the resolution of union and non-union grievance proceedings

• Participated in union negotiations and present training classes to managers on contract changes

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / CareGroup Corporate

Boston, MA

May 1995- January 1999

(CareGroup is the parent company for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)

Human Resources Manager

Feb 1998 – Jan 1999

• Managed through the transition of the network hospital’s acquisition and worked to align the newly

acquired hospital with the corporate strategy and the mission

• Provided corporate leadership and facilitated integration of services at network hospital

• Managed a two million dollar human resource departmental budget

Human Resources Generalist

Sept 1997- Feb 1998

• Was selected and promoted as first HR generalist that would support the growth of the mission of the

newly formed parent corporation

• Provided generalist support to corporate office and other affiliates including for profit health care

organizations and network hospitals

Benefits Specialist

Oct 1996- Aug 1997

• Created benefits presentation tool for two merging organizations that communicated to 6,000

employees a new combined benefit program that addressed two very different benefit philosophies

Benefits Associate

May 1995- Oct 1996

• Administered short and long term disability programs and all leaves of absence and ensured FMLA

compliance

• Managed tax sheltered annuities including 401(k) and 403(b) programs and assisted employees with

completing applications, securing loans, and resolving issues

Education

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

Have completed to date 30 credits towards completion of

Masters of Science, Strategic Human Resources Management and Organizational Development

Bachelor of Arts Degree in English

Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island

May 1995

Other Qualifications

Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)

Participated in certified MCAD training series

Certification in Employee and Labor Relation Law

Computer Skills: PeopleSoft, Lawson, Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint

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