Building a People First Workforce Strategy to Drive Outcomes in Pediatric Care with Janel Allen

In this episode of the Becker's Healthcare Podcast, Laura Deirdre interviews Janelle Allen, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Children's Nebraska, a state-only dedicated children's hospital. Allen shares how the organization has built a people-first workforce strategy that directly drives clinical and operational outcomes. By anchoring their approach in a 'People First Promise' and prioritizing retention over attraction, Children's Nebraska has achieved a 40% workforce growth over five years while reducing turnover by 35%. Employee engagement has risen to 89%, and patient experience and safety have improved in parallel—demonstrating that investing in people is not separate from business performance but central to it. Key initiatives include holistic well-being programs, intentional goal-setting, leadership development, and workforce pathing from elementary school through career advancement within the organization. Looking ahead, Allen emphasizes the need to balance rapid growth with transformation, especially amid rising healthcare demands, labor shortages, and evolving consumer expectations. She highlights the importance of AI adoption not for automation alone, but to reduce administrative friction and give clinicians more time for human-centered care. The organization is also investing in flexible work models tailored to different roles, continuous learning, mental health support, and modernizing digital experiences to mirror seamless consumer platforms like Netflix and Amazon. The biggest opportunity, Allen asserts, lies in aligning workforce strategy with organizational performance—creating a culture where people feel valued, grow meaningfully, and are empowered to deliver exceptional care.