Undoubtedly, the healthcare industry was one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. And longtime healthcare HR exec William Pryor had a front-row seat for the experience.

However, Pryor—the recently appointed executive vice president and CHRO of the New York-based Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth)—and his HR colleagues didn't just witness the impact of the crisis on their workforce; they walked beside employees to confront the challenges, which he says permanently transformed his approach to HR leadership.

Pryor is leveraging that experience and his deep expertise in healthcare HR—in the last 30 years, he has led HR in large healthcare settings like Catholic Health, Cape Fear Valley Health System and Mercy Health—to drive talent and business success for the 13,000-member workforce of WMCHealth. He recently shared with HRE how the network, which is home to nine hospitals on seven campuses in New York's Hudson Valley, is deepening its commitment to employee listening and innovating in employee wellness—and how the mission-driven work personally resonates with him.