Meet the new HR Director at SGCMH

5/12/2023

Ste. Genevieve, MO. Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital (SGCMH) is pleased to welcome Sherry Hamby-Vance as the new Executive Director, Human Resources.

Sherry is an accomplished human resources professional with over 28 years of experience in healthcare, mining and other industries.

Before accepting the position at SGCMH, Sherry headed up the Human Resources (HR) department at Missouri Cobalt in Fredericktown, an emerging domestic supplier of strategic metals.

It’s no surprise that she ended up working in the mining industry as she has a family history of mining.

“My grandpa was a surface miner, and my dad was an underground miner at Old St. Joe Doe Run,” she said. “I also worked in mining in 1999 in HR, so the hospital’s Occ Med services resonated with me as the hospital serves the local mining industries.”

Sherry said the field of human resources continues to grow.

“There’s more employee relations, more activities and of course, staffing and recruiting is different today,” she explained. “Social media is a big component and there is a lot more engagement with employees. Education and training of employees is essential to the job. It is definitely a service oriented position.”

She sees HR as a gateway between administration and the staff.

“I’m passionate about helping people and feel like HR is one of those jobs where you can make a difference and help shape an organization by the people that you help the organization choose,” she said. “You can help people on their best days and some of their toughest days. It’s important to gather the pulse of an organization and find out if and where you need to tweak things.”

Sherry said working in HR in several industries has provided her with different perspectives.

“When I worked at Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health, for example, I dealt with people experiencing drug and alcohol rehab issues,” she said. “In mining there were safety issues, EAP services, benefits, and wellness. Working HR in a variety of settings has helped me be a more well-rounded individual to really understand people’s needs.”

The HR seat was not the first encounter with SGCMH.

“My connection to the hospital came 3-4 years ago, when I was working a wellness program for U.S. Tool,” she explained. “We brought the mammogram bus in and I had a mammogram as well. It appeared to be fine, but I felt like I had a small lump on my breast. Long story short, my doctor referred me to Dr. Cavins at the Bloomsdale Medical Centre, and the problem was resolved super, super early. That was my first experience with the hospital. And now, one of my daughters is in school to become a nurse practitioner and actually worked for SGCMH as a registered nurse.”

Sherry said she’s super excited to be working at SGCMH.

“I’m excited to meet all of the employees,” she said. “The facility is very clean and everyone I’ve met has been very friendly, helpful and dedicated. I want to find where my opportunities are and where I can make a difference. I want to understand the industry, the people and just be able to assist with whatever I can.”

A reference on Sherry’s LinkedIn page sums up her philosophy nicely.

“We only have one opportunity when we meet someone to make a difference in their lives, so each contact we have is important,” she said. “You have to make the most of those contacts.”

Sherry grew up in Potosi and has lived in Bonne Terre for the past 15 years, but about six years ago, she and her husband bought property in Gray Hawk, where they expect to eventually build a home.

Sherry and her husband have three children and two grandbabies.

We’re looking forward to a summer of boating and hiking,” she said. “There's never a bad day when you can get together with your grandkids--that just makes my heart tick.”

Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital is a nonprofit county owned community hospital that works to continue to improve the health and well-being of the community. Our professional staff uses advanced technology and medicine to provide excellent, personalized, and compassionate healthcare. For more information on Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital, visit stegenevievehospital.org.
###