Susan Cabell champions quality and service - Martha Jefferson Health Services Corp - Society for Human Resource Management: Award for Professional Excellence

HR Magazine, Sept, 1997 by Michelle Neely Martinez

Known as a change agent and quality champion in both the health care industry and her community of Charlottesville, Va., Susan Cabell, SPHR, has led Martha Jefferson Health Services Corp. (MJH) to new levels of customer service and profitability.

Take, for example, the company's fast growing HomeCare business. Cabell slashed turnover by 16 percent, helped grow the business by 20 percent, and improved Jefferson's bottom line by 10 percent.

She achieved those exceptional results by basically taking over the business and restructuring employee teams - grouping them by regions so work and staff communication became more efficient and productive. She worked with employees to help them understand the needs of the business and implemented an employee recognition program that celebrated team achievements.

Saving a suffering business unit is a clear example of how Cabell, vice president of administration for 10 years, works as a strategic partner with her boss, GEO and President James Haden. It was Haden who asked her to take on the challenge of reviving and building the company's home-care business.

"Susan's leadership has been demonstrated continuously throughout the hospital and the community," says Haden. "She has been instrumental in building and guiding our department of Human Resources, and has been a supportive MJH team member in moving our organization forward in a very challenging environment."

MJH's "Success Sharing Program" is another example of Cabell's no-nonsense, yet communicative, approach to teaching employees how their commitment to quality and service affects the company's financial performance. For this program, Cabell and Haden met with more than 950 employees to discuss goal setting for customer service and teamwork.

Additionally, she initiated some popular employee wellness programs that have cut total benefits costs by 6 percent.

Cabell believes "the role of HR might be changing faster than other functions when looking at delivering products and services. The function has had a longer way to go in terms of making sure it does get a seat at the table. Now that is changing - we have the ability and opportunity to influence and make changes."

For her, personally, working in the volatile health care industry means being flexible in her position. "In this environment, change is survival," she says. "My mission is to shape the company's HR function based on changes within the industry environment. We [the HR department] look hard at how to bring value to the organization, to improve productivity and quality."

Despite her challenging, fast-paced job, Cabell still finds time for volunteer work that enhances her community. She is past chair and president of the SHRM chapter - the Charlottesville HR Association - and has served on the Virginia State Chamber Board of Directors and numerous local nonprofit boards. Most recently, Cabell was appointed to the Charlottesville Planning Commission.

She also serves on the Board of Trustees for Queens College in Charlotte, N.C., which named her "Alumna of the Year" in 1996.