Kristen Hernandez

Kristen Hernandez currently serves as the Regional Vice President of Human Resources for Encompass Health’s West Region, providing strategic HR leadership and support to 18 hospitals across the region. In this role, she partners closely with hospital Human Resources Directors to strengthen HR operations, talent management, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness.

Prior to assuming the Regional Vice President position, Kristen served as the Human Resources Director at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Albuquerque for 12 years. Throughout her tenure, she played an instrumental role in supporting hospital operations and advancing people-focused initiatives. Encompass Health is the nation’s leading provider of inpatient rehabilitation services, operating more than 170 hospitals nationwide.

A native New Mexican, Kristen was raised in Bernalillo, New Mexico, and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from the Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico. Throughout her career, she has gained diverse human resources experience across multiple industries, including construction, tribal government, and healthcare.