Dianna Sparacino of Endeavor Health On How to Build a Purpose-Driven Culture That Attracts Top Talent
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
To me, a purpose-driven culture exists when people understand and feel connected to how their work contributes to something bigger than themselves. In healthcare, that connection is incredibly powerful because our work directly impacts human lives.
Purpose has become the new currency of success in today’s workplace, and leaders who prioritize mission-driven cultures are standing out in the war for talent. To explore this important topic, we are interviewing Dianna Sparacino.
As Chief People Officer at Endeavor Health, Dianna Sparacino is responsible for defining and advancing a vision for a welcoming and innovative team member experience that results in excellent care for the patients and communities we are privileged to serve as well as meaningful partnerships with fellow team members. In her role, Sparacino has been instrumental in guiding Endeavor Health through one of its most important transitions, bringing together and aligning multiple distinct organizations into a single, integrated system. Her leadership is critical to creating a culture where team members at all levels feel valued and supported, and have an appreciation for their many contributions, the mission we collectively serve, and how they belong at Endeavor Health.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
When I was younger, I always envied individuals who knew what they wanted to be and what their end career goal was, but that was not my story, and I quickly learned that was OK. As individuals and as leaders, being successful is about growing and adapting. The constant for me was that I was always drawn to people, always reflecting to best understand what motivates them, what helps them grow and what helps teams succeed.
Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work with some incredibly strong leaders. They were smart, committed and deeply invested in something bigger than themselves. That experience shaped me. It taught me that leadership changes everything. Leadership is the primary influencer of culture, performance, trust and ultimately whether people feel valued.
After years working in industry, I realized I wanted to apply my skills in a place that more closely connects with my personal sense of purpose. As an HR leader in healthcare, my team and I have the opportunity to improve the daily experiences of individual team members called to care for others during their most vulnerable and sometimes joyous occasions. Being part of a healthcare delivery team is a privilege, and serving our talented team members as they commit to living our mission inspires me each day.
I also am confident that my family influenced me more than I realized at the time. My father is a physician and even at almost 89 years old, he is still serving patients and teaching residents. He has this incredible humility and commitment to lifelong learning and service. Watching him taught me that leadership, trust and service are deeply connected.
My career has become less about traditional HR and more about helping create environments where people can do meaningful work, feel respected and perform at their best.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began working in leadership, culture building, or purpose-driven organizations?
Helping bring together four different health systems into Endeavor Health has probably been the most meaningful experience of my career. People often assume that if organizations share similar values, the cultures will naturally blend together. But culture is much deeper than a mission statement. Four organizations can all care deeply about patients and communities while still operating in very different ways.
An important consideration during organizational integration is understanding when the organization is ready to embrace a journey to a unified culture. We started our culture journey after we integrated other system-wide programs and built relationships and trust across the system. We knew as we continued to integrate that, if we did not proactively shape culture, our evolving system culture would begin to form on its own. So, as a leadership team, and it starts with leaders, we set out to intentionally build the culture we wanted to create.
That process required a tremendous amount of listening, honesty and humility. It also required us to understand the aspects of our historic cultures that we should enhance and the parts that we needed to shed. We were very clear that we needed to build this together, create our identity, engage people across the organization and consistently communicate and get feedback.
Watching thousands of people slowly begin connecting around a shared identity has probably been one of the most meaningful leadership experiences of my career. It’s been a journey to get as far as we’ve come and while our culture journey is ongoing, it is important that we celebrate milestones along the way. It was less than a year ago that an idea came forward from team members about how we can celebrate the people that have been committed to living our values each day and to our mission for many years. The “Heart of Endeavor” celebration was born from this and just recently we gathered to honor and recognize team members celebrating 20+ years of service. Nearly 1,000 people attended, including 450 honorees, their guests and leaders, to recognize their hard work and dedication.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Being self-aware and not taking yourself too seriously is important to me. Early in my leadership journey, I tried too hard to be everything to everyone, have all the answers and manage all the decisions myself. As I reflected on this, I realized it negatively impacted my team, it didn’t give them space to own things, learn and grow, and didn’t help me build trust with them. That experience helped me grow and, longer-term, be a stronger leader. As I speak with others, I encourage them to let their failures fuel them.
Second is empathy. Earlier in my career, I traveled extensively and worked with teams around the world. What struck me was how universal human motivation really is. People want respect, they want to feel a sense of purpose, they want to be heard and understood and they want the ability to support the people they love.
Third is resilience. Healthcare transformation work is hard, especially during mergers and periods of change, like the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve learned that strong leadership is often about staying steady, transparent and committed even when things are imperfect.
What does a “purpose-driven culture” mean to you personally, and why do you think it’s critical for attracting top talent?
To me, a purpose-driven culture exists when people understand and feel connected to how their work contributes to something bigger than themselves. In healthcare, that connection is incredibly powerful because our work directly impacts human lives. But purpose cannot just live within mission statements or values posters on walls.
Creating that kind of culture requires leaders to consistently lead with shared values and behaviors that set the tone for the organization. Our teams and our patients need to experience the culture in everyday moments — through trust, support, accountability and compassion in action.
I also believe people today are looking for more than compensation or titles, they want meaning, a sense of belonging and leadership they can trust. Organizations that connect purpose to everyday work create stronger engagement, stronger retention and ultimately stronger performance.
How did you identify and define the mission or purpose for your organization? Was it inspired by a particular event, challenge, or insight?
One of the biggest themes we focused on in our journey was appreciating the connection between purpose, culture and strategy. As four organizations came together, we spent a lot of time listening to our teams and understanding what mattered most to them. We realized we could either allow culture to evolve on its own or intentionally shape it. That became the foundation for what we now think about as “The Endeavor Way.” It was never about creating a slogan and forcing a culture on our teams, rather, it was about defining how we work, how we lead and how we support one another in a way that connects purpose, culture and performance. It’s about how we do things around here, as one system, one team.
What are the key steps leaders can take to embed purpose into the day-to-day operations and decision-making of their companies?
First, leaders have to consistently connect decisions back to purpose and values so employees understand the “why” behind the work. Second, organizations need to reinforce purpose through the behaviors they reward, recognize and tolerate. Culture is shaped far more by what organizations consistently do than what they say.
Leaders have to connect the dots for their people. At Endeavor Health, we spend a lot of time helping teams understand how our values, shared ways of working, operational excellence, high reliability and outcomes all fit together. Purpose has to show up in every moment, including the difficult moments, not just during times of success.
To do this, we recommend leaders use these practical steps to guide activation:
- Start small, start now: Choose one value and make it visible in how you lead.
- Localize the message: Connect organizational values to your team’s priorities. Make it real and relevant.
- Model and reinforce: Provide feedback, celebrate wins, and call out any behaviors inconsistent with our values, using the language of the values.
- Connect to team priorities: Show how living our values supports high-quality care, effective teamwork, and project execution.
What role does leadership play in championing and modeling a purpose-driven culture? Can you share an example of how you or another leader helped reinforce your organization’s purpose?
Leadership shapes culture more than any formal mission statement ever will. I often say leadership is built one moment at a time through how leaders communicate, listen and respond under pressure. One example is our work around employee wellbeing and holistic safety. We have intentionally worked to connect physical safety, emotional wellbeing and professional growth instead of treating them as separate initiatives. That sends a very important message to our teams: caring for the people who care for our communities is not a side initiative. It is foundational to who we are.
How do you handle skepticism or resistance from team members or stakeholders who may not immediately understand the value of focusing on purpose?
I think skepticism is understandable, especially in healthcare where people are balancing enormous operational pressures. The key is making purpose tangible instead of abstract. We connect conversations about culture and leadership directly back to patient outcomes, workforce stability and organizational performance. When we talk about our vision, Safe, Seamless & Personal, every person, every time, we strive to achieve that for our patients and our team members. Are we there yet? No, but we work to continuously improve. I also believe transparency matters tremendously. Employees do not expect perfection, but they do expect honesty. People are much more likely to engage when they feel heard and respected.
Ok, let’s talk strategy. Based on your experience, can you share “5 Steps to Build a Purpose-Driven Culture That Attracts Top Talent”? If possible, please include examples or stories for each.
1. Start by listening deeply. Culture cannot be designed in a conference room alone. As we built Endeavor Health, we spent significant time listening to employees across different hospitals, functions and leadership levels. Understanding both the positive and negative aspects of existing cultures helped us define what we wanted to become together.
2. Connect purpose to operations. For example, when we talk about high reliability or operational consistency, we intentionally connect those concepts back to patient safety, trust and our values. That helps employees understand why the work matters.
3. Invest in leaders at every level because those leaders shape daily culture experiences. I have seen firsthand how one great leader can transform a team environment and how poor leadership can damage trust quickly. Organizations need to intentionally develop leaders who combine accountability with empathy, clarity and consistency.
4. Support the whole person. People perform better when they feel safe and supported. Healthcare workers experience enormous emotional and psychological demands. That is why we have invested heavily in wellbeing resources, resilience programs and support systems that acknowledge the human realities of healthcare work.
5. Reinforce culture through everyday systems. One thing we learned during integration work is that employees pay close attention to what organizations reward and reinforce. If purpose is not reflected in daily systems and behaviors, it will not stick.
Can you share a specific example of how embracing a purpose-driven culture helped your company attract exceptional talent or achieve a significant business goal?
One example I’m especially proud of is Endeavor Health earning Mental Health America’s Platinum Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health for the fourth consecutive year, placing us among the top 1% of employers nationally. That recognition reflects years of intentional work to embed wellbeing into the daily experience of our teams, not just through benefits, but through real-time support systems.
We’ve built a multidimensional approach that includes wellbeing advisors, grief and crisis response teams, mental health training, flexible support resources and programs designed specifically for the realities of healthcare work.
I think employees today want to know that organizations genuinely care about them as people, especially in industries as demanding as healthcare. Our investment in wellbeing has strengthened engagement, reinforced trust and helped position Endeavor Health as a place where people feel supported, valued and able to build meaningful careers.
What advice would you give to leaders of smaller companies or startups who want to build a purpose-driven culture but don’t know where to start?
Start simple and start authentically. Employees pay far more attention to leadership behaviors than mission statements. Define what you value, involve employees in shaping culture and make sure leaders model those behaviors consistently. I would also encourage leaders not to overcomplicate culture work. Culture is built through everyday moments, interactions and decisions. Small actions repeated consistently over time matter more than grand statements.
What are some common mistakes leaders make when trying to create a purpose-driven culture, and how can they avoid them?
One common mistake is treating culture like a branding exercise instead of embracing and fostering it as “the way we do things around here.” Another is assuming stated values alone are enough. To build a purpose-driven culture, it is critical for all employees to learn, live and lead with values at the center, and to understand how they contribute to the organization’s mission or North Star. Recognizing behaviors that reinforce your values and addressing behaviors that don’t align with your culture are equally important. We need to remember as leaders that what we permit, we promote.
Employees are smart and they pay attention to whether leaders role model the “right” behaviors and develop systems that actually reinforce organizational values.
One area we are focusing on is helping our leaders appreciate that embracing the value of “kindness” does not mean avoiding difficult conversations in the name of being nice. We highlight that part of our value of kindness is respectfully providing clarity and transparency through honest, constructive feedback.
Finally, organizations often underestimate how long culture work takes but building trust, consistency and shared identity requires sustained effort over time. Always remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
How do you ensure that your organization’s purpose evolves and remains relevant as your company grows and the world changes?
Organizations have to continue listening and learning. Healthcare is changing rapidly. Workforce expectations are changing. Technology is changing. Communities are changing. The key is making sure your purpose remains grounded in enduring principles while also allowing your strategies and approaches to evolve as the world around us changes. For us, that means staying connected to our teams, understanding emerging needs and continuously evaluating whether our systems, leadership behaviors and priorities still align with the kind of organization we want to be. I also believe humility and self-reflection are important. No organization ever fully “arrives” when it comes to culture.
What trends or shifts are you seeing in the workplace regarding purpose, and how do you think these will shape the future of business?
I think employees increasingly expect organizations to care about them as whole people, not simply as workers. There is also growing recognition that wellbeing, culture and performance are deeply interconnected. For a long time, many organizations treated those topics separately. I think the future will require far more integrated thinking.
In healthcare specifically, I believe there will be increasing focus on psychological safety, leadership development, workforce flexibility and creating environments where people feel inspired, supported and accountable. I also think employees want greater transparency and authenticity from leaders. People are looking for organizations where values are actually visible in practice.
In your opinion, how does having a purpose-driven culture impact not just employees, but customers, clients, and the broader community?
Culture impacts every interaction an organization has. When employees feel connected, respected and supported, that directly influences how they care for patients and serve communities. In healthcare especially, people can feel the difference between organizations where teams are simply functioning and organizations where people are truly connected to purpose. Strong culture ultimately builds stronger trust, and trust is foundational in healthcare.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people by building purpose-driven workplaces, what would that be?
I would start a movement around redefining how organizations care for the people doing the work. For too long, many workplaces have treated wellbeing, psychological safety and human connection as secondary to performance. I believe the future belongs to organizations that recognize those things are foundational to performance.
Particularly in healthcare, we ask extraordinary things of people emotionally, physically and psychologically. We cannot expect people to sustain that level of commitment without systems that better support them.
If organizations genuinely created environments where people felt respected, safe, connected to purpose and able to grow, I think we would see healthier workplaces, stronger performance and stronger communities.
How can our readers further follow you online?
You can follow me on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannasparacino/
You can follow Endeavor Health and our work around leadership, culture and workforce transformation by visiting our website and on LinkedIn.
This was great. Thank you so much for the time you spent sharing with us.
About The Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience as a Founder and CEO. While attending Ohio State University, he launched his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc., a nationally recognized healthcare collection agency — twice ranked the #1 workplace in Ohio. In 2013, he founded [re]start, helping thousands of people find meaningful career opportunities. After selling both companies, Chad shifted his focus to his true passion — leadership. Today, he coaches founders and CEOs at Built to Lead, advises Authority Magazine’s Thought Leader Incubator. Learn more at www.chadsilverstein.com
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