The Organizational Development Department now has new leadership and new strategic direction.

Experienced organizational development expert Melissa Stewart recently joined City of Hope to lead the department, which will focus heavily on leadership and team development.

Melissa Stewart (Photo by p.cunningham)

The department comprises seven professionals with expertise in clinical and industrial-organizational psychology, leadership, management, diversity and inclusion, process improvement, course development, coaching, facilitation and assessment. It will continue to develop performance management systems, provide coaching and training for leaders and managers, help develop productive and creative teams and assist with work process redesign.

“We’re very excited to have Melissa on board. Her experience in program development and implementation will be a great asset to City of Hope,” said Debbie Gac, senior vice president of human resources.

Stewart is enthusiastic about the department, and in particular thanked Kate O’Malley, who had been serving as interim director.

Stewart was previously director of leadership and organizational development at Torrance-based HealthCare Partners, the second-largest medical group in California.

In addition to driving leadership and team initiatives, the Organizational Development Department will continue ongoing efforts to administer the employee opinion survey and analyze results to improve employees’ experience and performance.

“Employee feedback is important to City of Hope, and the Executive Team has based some of its strategic priorities, such as patient safety and rewards and recognition, on areas that were identified through employee feedback on the survey results,” said Gac.

Feedback from the last employee survey spurred the creation of a new rewards and recognition program, which will be unveiled later this year. “Supervisors should keep their eyes open for training on rewards and recognition and also for new leadership and management development classes in the near future,” said Stewart.

Additionally, employee “pulse surveys” planned for May will help City of Hope leaders track progress in improving employee satisfaction, added Stewart.

For more information about the Organizational Development Department, its mission and the services it provides, visit www.coh.org/hr/od.