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Kelly Soldano never imagined working in human resources. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life growing up,” she explains.
A car accident at eighteen changed the dynamics—and direction—of her life. She was medevaced to Westchester Medical Center in 1998, and today she serves as senior vice president of human resource operations for Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth).
A twenty-year journey in HR involved stops in Virginia and New York City before returning home to upstate New York where she worked as a recruiter. “Every day while searching LinkedIn for candidates for roles I was hiring into, it would show me an ad for a recruiter opening at Westchester Medical Center,” Soldano shares. “I saw that as a sign.”
So, in 2015, Soldano joined the health system as a senior recruiter, rising to her current position over a ten-year series of promotions.
“My role initially focused on recruitment and moved to HR operations, streamlining backend processes and establishing new standards,” Soldano says. “Over the past two years, my focus has shifted primarily to culture. I am deeply passionate about the work being done here, not only because WMC saved my life, but because they save lives every single day. There’s an incredible sense of pride in what we do, and I want everyone to feel that same pride.”
Back in 2023, WMCHealth had a set of values in place, but Soldano saw ways to improve things. She built a task force of employees throughout the nine-hospital system, digging into the core of what was important, and coming up with a foundation for CARE.
“We knew we needed to build a foundation and ultimately focused on communication, recognition, support and development,” Soldano explains. “From there, we began building out each area. For example, under support, we developed a wellness platform. CARE was embedded throughout everything people saw and experienced.”
Earlier this year, WMCHealth launched its CARE Training program, training the workforce on the foundations of CARE.
“We trained all of our senior leadership in CARE Out Loud, and now we’re working on our entire workforce. We have 12,000 employees to train, and things have been overwhelmingly positive,” Soldano notes. “People are excited about it and look to get involved any way they can.”
Under Soldano’s guidance, the HR department is also leading a values-based campaign supporting leadership development, including CARE coaching.
As a certified CliftonStrengths coach, Soldano works with on-site coaches to help executives lean into their strengths and find the right life/work balance. For instance, in April, WMCHealth launched a small pilot program in its northern region. They are seeing extremely positive feedback from the executives who are taking part of this six-month CARE coaching program.
Soldano takes a people-centric approach to her job, explaining HR should be all about the people who work there.
“I may not be out on the front line saving lives, but I’m here on the back end, supporting the people who are,” she says. “To truly support them, we need to meet them where they are. That means providing programs that they actually need, not what we think they need.” Soldano goes on to explain that being present, listening to staff, gathering their feedback, and building initiatives that they ask for—and letting them get involved with—is the most effective way to make an impact.
“Supporting our workforce is key,” Soldano explains. “I am lucky to work with an amazing HR team that lives our CARE Values every day. One of the programs created was CARE Connections, a mentorship initiative that didn’t exist before. We now have had multiple cohorts.” Soldano is excited to see former mentees stepping into mentor roles, and the interest in the program continues to grow.
She shares that another initiative, the RN CARE Circle, was launched after recognizing that many new grad RNs, especially during COVID, didn’t receive the on-site clinical training they needed. “As a Level 1 trauma center, they were encountering intense situations they hadn’t been fully prepared for,” Soldano says. “We knew we had to do more to support them. Sometimes they just needed someone to talk to or a forum to connect. The RN CARE Circle provides that extra layer of support.”
Before Soldano joined, there were no formal recognition programs driven by HR at WMCHealth. “I am proud with the support of our HR teams to have helped build that foundation and contribute to the CARE culture our health system is now known for,” she says. WMCHealth now has quarterly employee recognition, and Soldano’s team goes out to round on the units meeting with the staff directly to thank them. “Through our CARE Champion and CARE Call Out programs, leaders are actively recognizing their teams, and it keeps growing every year,” Soldano notes. “Honestly, it has been amazing to watch the transformation.”
Another of Soldano’s passions is developing education outreach programs with middle and high schools to support the next generation of healthcare workers. “We are in the process of creating CARE Future, inspiring the next generation of healthcare heroes,” Soldano shares. “This is an exciting outreach program bringing healthcare education into local schools across the Hudson Valley.”
This shift will allow WMCHealth to deepen their alignment with their CARE Values and bring together healthcare professionals, community partners, and learners from across the Hudson Valley. With a fresh look and renewed focus, Soldano says HR will partner with Dr. Richard Evans and his “Mini Medical School” to enhance the reach and relevance to introduce students to all the diverse career paths available in healthcare. “Through engaging presentations, hands-on activities, and mentorship opportunities, we will be helping young minds see a future where they can make a difference,” the SVP explains. “From future nurses to lab techs, therapists to surgical assistants, CARE Future will be about building a future pipeline of compassionate, skilled professionals who reflect the communities we serve.”
“Supporting our workforce is key. I am lucky to work with an amazing HR team that lives our CARE Values every day.”
Kelly Soldano
Outside of work, Soldano is on the board of the Hudson Valley chapter of the Girls on the Run program, which she learned about through her nine-year-old daughter, and really appreciates the mentorship it provides for young women. Her goal is to help find continued mentorship opportunities for girls who age out of the program through programs like CARE Future. “Getting involved in community outreach and strengthening these programs for future generations is a responsibility we all share” Soldano says.
Reflecting on the decision to work in HR, Soldano is pleased about the events that set her on this path. “Most people can’t say they love coming into work every day, but I absolutely do,” Soldano shares. “Not only are we making a difference, but I can actually see the culture shifting day by day. Other departments now call HR for advice and want to collaborate with us. In many organizations, HR is purely transactional, but here, we’ve reached a point where people see HR as a strategic partner in supporting overall operations, and that’s really the best feeling.”
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Congratulations to Kelly on her incredible feature. As SVP of HR Operations at Westchester Medical Center Health Network, she’s driving values-based culture, wellness and leadership development with heart and clarity. Her success is a testament to what’s possible when passion meets precision, and we’re proud to play a part behind the scenes helping shape the strategy and story that brought this achievement to life. Here’s to raising the bar and then leaping right over it. Bravo, Kelly!
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