HR Executive Magazine Names Scripps Senior VP 2011 HR Honor Roll Award

Vic Buzachero, Scripps Health corporate senior vice president of innovation, human resources and performance management, was named one of HR Executive Magazine’s three Honor Roll award recipients for 2011. The award was presented to Buzachero at an awards dinner held on Oct. 4 in Las Vegas.

The award is part of the HR Executive magazine’s yearly recognition of top executives who have made outstanding contributions to their organizations and who exemplify the increasingly strategic role of human resources in today’s business environment. Since its inception, the HR Executive of the Year award has been presented to 23 prior recipients, while 75 prior individuals have been named to the HR Honor Roll.

Buzachero was recognized for his efforts surrounding employee engagement, which went from 58 percent in 2002 to 88 percent in 2010. As a result, Scripps saved $100 million annually by reducing its need for temporary nurses, and employees now have a direct, transparent line of communication with top leaders.

Scripps President and CEO Chris Van Gorder said Buzachero was instrumental in helping to take the human resources function to a new level.

“When I first came to Scripps 11 years ago, we had very few internal educational opportunities for staff and management,” Van Gorder said. “Today, thanks to Vic’s leadership, Scripps employees can receive much of the education internally and, as a result, Scripps has become a career destination for many of our employees.”

Since Buzachero joined Scripps and transformed the human resources function, the organization has received many local and national awards as a top employer.

Within the past month, AARP ranked Scripps Health as the No. 1 company in the United States for workers over age 50 and Working Mother magazine listed Scripps Health as a top employer for the seventh consecutive year. And for the fourth consecutive year, Fortune magazine’s also listed Scripps as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. There is only one health care organization ranked higher than Scripps on the 2011 Fortune 100 list.

Before joining Scripps, Buzachero was special assistant to the CEO for the Providence Health System, leading the system’s E-Health strategy and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance efforts, and developing a strategic human resources plan for the Washington region. Prior to Providence, Buzachero served as senior vice president of human resources and organizational development for the Banner Health System and as senior vice president of human resources for the Samaritan Health System, now a part of Banner. During this time, he led new programs for leadership development, service excellence, reduction in employee turnover and improved employee satisfaction.

“I’m constantly looking for ideas, opportunities and ways we can make a difference and create value,” said Buzachero, who constantly carries a black notebook with him everywhere so he’s ready when an idea hits him. "I encourage my team to listen closely to what our employees tell us they want, and then we design benefits and programs that meet their needs for their entire life cycle. The result is a stronger workforce that enables us to provide superior clinical care to our patients.”

About Scripps Health

Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a $2.3 billion nonprofit community health system based in San Diego, Calif. Read more about Scripps.