Chris Cowan, MEd, FABC

Chief Human Resources Officer ChristianaCare

  • Wilmington DE

Chris Cowan is the chief human resources officer at ChristianaCare.

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Forbes Ranks ChristianaCare Among America’s Best Employers for Women in 2024

ChristianaCare has been recognized as one of America’s Best Employers for Women by Forbes for 2024, marking the first time the company has received this prestigious recognition. In a survey of 150,000 women working for companies of at least 1,000 employees in the U.S., ChristianaCare ranked 150 on the list of 600 employers that were recognized. “This important recognition is a testament to our culture and the remarkable women who have chosen to build meaningful careers at ChristianaCare,” said Chris Cowan, MEd, FABC, ChristianaCare’s Chief Human Resources Officer. “Empowering women to succeed is integral to our culture and strengthens our organization. Together, we’ll continue to advance equity and inclusion in the workplace while transforming health and clinical care.” Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista, which surveyed employees on various aspects such as workplace environment, growth opportunities, compensation, diversity, parental leave, schedule flexibility and family assistance. ChristianaCare continues to cultivate a strong, inclusive, and diverse culture for women inside and outside the company by investing in professional development through its Women’s Employee Network (WEN) and providing a comprehensive benefits package that includes various flexible leave options for employees, including at least 12 weeks of paid parental leave. “Receiving this recognition from Forbes is an honor,” said Pamela Ridgeway, MBA, MA, SPHR, chief diversity officer and vice president of Talent and Acquisition at ChristianaCare. “In addition to offering workplace benefits such as paid maternity and paternity leave, ChristianaCare is firmly committed to empowering and advancing talented individuals within the workplace. Receiving this award for the first time signifies our unwavering dedication to ensuring that every individual has a voice and feels truly valued within our organization.” The Forbes recognition follows other national recognitions of ChristianaCare’s commitment to an inclusive workplace. Earlier this year, Forbes ranked ChristianaCare as one of the best employers for diversity in the U.S. Additionally, Forbes ranked ChristianaCare as the top health care employer for veterans in the United States. Both ChristianaCare’s Wilmington Hospital and Christiana Hospital have been named Leaders in LGBTQIA+ Healthcare Equality since 2012.

Chris Cowan, MEd, FABC

Biography

Chris Cowan, MEd, FABC, is the chief human resources officer at ChristianaCare.

He is recognized among the 100 global leaders named to the Top People Leaders and CHROs of 2023 list by Mogul, a diversity recruitment platform that helps companies attract, support and advance diverse talent. The list highlights leaders who are making a difference and championing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in their workplace.

Cowan has overseen successful efforts to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups who are hired as organizational leaders and attending physicians. The organization also has revised diversity management policies and increased opportunities for mentorship and leadership development — such as the LeadershipDNA program — to help employees continuously improve. These activities build on ChristianaCare’s commitment to being an anti-racist organization and advancing health equity in all communities it serves.

Areas of Expertise

Human Resources

Education

Penn State Great Valley

MEd

Instructional Systems Design

2002

Penn State University

BS

Marketing

1994

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Media Appearances

Forbes Ranks ChristianaCare as the No. 1 Health Care Employer for Veterans in the United States

ChristianaCare News  online

2023-11-15

“Veterans answer a calling in their life to serve our nation, and we are deeply appreciative that so many of them during the second half of their career choose to serve others by working at ChristianaCare,” said Christopher Cowan, MEd, FABC, chief human resources officer at ChristianaCare.

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Delaware hospitals are enticing nurses with luxury vacations and $25k. Will it get them to stay?

The News Journal  online

2022-02-10

Chris Cowan, senior vice president of human resources, confirmed in a statement that the health system began to offer a “retention bonus to stabilize specific positions in which turnover and recruitment are especially challenging, as health care organizations compete for hard-to-fill positions.”

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Selected Honors & Awards

Top People Leaders and CHROs, Mogul

2023

Academy GE Fellowship Program of the Health Management Academy

2019