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Kristen Gradney, Chief Wellness Officer, VP of Total Rewards at LCMC
Summary
Most leaders agree that employee well-being is important — but too often, it’s treated as an “extra” rather than an everyday responsibility. In this episode of Built By People, Dave D’Angelo sits down with Kristen Gradney, Chief Wellness Officer and VP of Total Rewards at LCMC Health, to explore how she’s shifting that mindset across a large healthcare system.
With a background spanning clinical nutrition, healthcare operations, and population health, Kristen shares how she transformed scattered wellness initiatives into a deeply embedded cultural value. She reveals the steps her team took to hear employees’ real needs, equip leaders with operational well-being tools, and build a shared vision that extends beyond perks like yoga classes or gym memberships.
Listen in to learn how Kristen navigated cultural resistance, why leader buy-in is essential, and the lessons she’d apply if she were starting over — plus practical strategies you can adapt to create a culture where well-being is everyone’s job.
Key Timestamps
- [00:00] – Kristen’s non-traditional career path from dietitian to Chief Wellness Officer
- [01:53] – The cultural challenge: leaders viewing well-being as “someone else’s job”
- [03:04] – Gathering employee feedback through a system-wide well-being survey
- [04:50] – Creating leader training on operational well-being and daily impact
- [05:45] – Embedding well-being into every task, not just special initiatives
- [06:24] – Why shared vision and leader accountability were critical to success
- [08:17] – Lessons learned: time, intention, and the need for early top-level buy-in
- [10:19] – Kristen’s advice: adapt evidence-based practices to fit your culture
Takeaways
- Engage employees early to understand what they truly need, not just what leadership assumes.
- Equip leaders with practical tools to integrate well-being into daily operations.
- Build a shared vision so all leaders see themselves as responsible for employee well-being.
- Measure cultural traction through leader engagement and proactive resource requests.
- Tailor well-being strategies to your organization rather than copying external models.
- Secure top-level support early to accelerate culture change.
Our Sponsor
Previ is an employer network that provides private pricing for employees. Joining the Previ network allows employees to save on necessities they already pay for, such as cell phone service and insurance. Previ saves the average employee $2,200/year. Join at no cost to the company.
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By Dave D'AngeloSummary
Most leaders agree that employee well-being is important — but too often, it’s treated as an “extra” rather than an everyday responsibility. In this episode of Built By People, Dave D’Angelo sits down with Kristen Gradney, Chief Wellness Officer and VP of Total Rewards at LCMC Health, to explore how she’s shifting that mindset across a large healthcare system.
With a background spanning clinical nutrition, healthcare operations, and population health, Kristen shares how she transformed scattered wellness initiatives into a deeply embedded cultural value. She reveals the steps her team took to hear employees’ real needs, equip leaders with operational well-being tools, and build a shared vision that extends beyond perks like yoga classes or gym memberships.
Listen in to learn how Kristen navigated cultural resistance, why leader buy-in is essential, and the lessons she’d apply if she were starting over — plus practical strategies you can adapt to create a culture where well-being is everyone’s job.
Key Timestamps
- [00:00] – Kristen’s non-traditional career path from dietitian to Chief Wellness Officer
- [01:53] – The cultural challenge: leaders viewing well-being as “someone else’s job”
- [03:04] – Gathering employee feedback through a system-wide well-being survey
- [04:50] – Creating leader training on operational well-being and daily impact
- [05:45] – Embedding well-being into every task, not just special initiatives
- [06:24] – Why shared vision and leader accountability were critical to success
- [08:17] – Lessons learned: time, intention, and the need for early top-level buy-in
- [10:19] – Kristen’s advice: adapt evidence-based practices to fit your culture
Takeaways
- Engage employees early to understand what they truly need, not just what leadership assumes.
- Equip leaders with practical tools to integrate well-being into daily operations.
- Build a shared vision so all leaders see themselves as responsible for employee well-being.
- Measure cultural traction through leader engagement and proactive resource requests.
- Tailor well-being strategies to your organization rather than copying external models.
- Secure top-level support early to accelerate culture change.
Our Sponsor
Previ is an employer network that provides private pricing for employees. Joining the Previ network allows employees to save on necessities they already pay for, such as cell phone service and insurance. Previ saves the average employee $2,200/year. Join at no cost to the company.