Dive Brief:
- Despite the current challenges of the healthcare industry, some organizations are managing particularly well to help ensure employees feel supported and proud of what they do, Fortune reported.
- "A spirit of camaraderie, pride and fairness is apparent throughout companies in the 20 Best Workplaces in Health Care for 2016," Fortune stated. The list was announced by Great Place to Work.
- The benefits of such a culture doesn't just feel good, it can also serve the bottom line, Fortune said. The overarching themes provide a competitive advantage by helping to retain and draw talent in an industry where voluntary turnover reached 14.4% in 2015.
Dive Insight:
The list of recognized organizations ranges in type and size. They include hospital systems, home healthcare providers, national healthcare associations, and medical products distributors with anywhere from 167 to 19,152 employees.
The companies appear to have made the list through a mix of perks that show employee appreciation, plus some less tangible cultural aspects.
The list:
1. Texas Health Resources, headquartered in Arlington, TX: Perks include compressed work weeks and low healthcare premiums, and wellness programs that "support physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health across a wide variety of cultures."
2. Encompass Home Health and Hospice, headquartered in Dallas: Benefits include flexible schedules and up to six weeks of paid time off annually, as well as an expectation of excellence supported with resources and recognition.
3. Preferred Home Health Care & Nursing Services, headquartered in Eatontown, NJ: The company is noted for going "above and beyond" to show appreciation through everything from free snacks and lunches to internal opportunities and employee trust.
4. Southern Ohio Medical Center, headquartered in Portsmouth, Ohio: The company prioritizes promoting from within and provides an annual bonus program.
5. Martin’s Point Health Care, headquartered in Portland, Maine: The company provides small perks including a paid day off for birthdays, and has a process that began as a joke but became a real honor, in which employees recognize each other for doing good deeds by bestowing a card with a picture of a kitten. Recipients are then entered into a quarterly drawing to attend a Kitten Lunch with the executive management team.
6. Baptist Health South Florida, headquartered in Coral Gables, FL: Perks include a $10,000 adoption benefit, 24 holidays and vacation days, and a 401(k) matching program.
7. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, headquartered in Memphis, TN: Perks include a free on-site gym and tuition reimbursement. In addition, “Everyone goes out of their way to make the kids feel special—from the doctors to the guy at the deli counter,” one employee says.
8. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, headquartered in Memphis, TN: The company is known for promoting from within and being transparent in its communication. Employees notice the way they care for patients regardless of race or socio-economic status.
9. Scripps Health, headquartered in San Diego, CA: Scripps is known for going above and beyond to with small perks such as 15-minute chair massages and movie nights, and employees say everyone respects others' positions.
10. Healthcare Resource Group, headquartered in Spokane Valley, Wash.: Benefits include an employee owned stock option plan, a committee that plans fun events, and attention to individual growth.
12. Licking Memorial Health Systems, headquartered in Newark, Ohio: The system offers alternative schedules to assist employees in achieving work-life balance, and a peer recognition program that creates a supportive environment.
13. Owens Healthcare, headquartered in Redding, CA: Aside from perks including a $250 wellness reimbursement for fitness activities, the company is known for going out of its way to get to know employees and offer social events during and outside of work.
14. OhioHealth, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio: The company prioritizes ongoing professional development with programs including its OhioHealth University, tuition reimbursement, and rotational experiential learning.
15. AmerisourceBergen, headquartered in Chesterbrook, PA: This company is known for its ongoing career development opportunities, as well as generous paid time off, approachable leadership, and its fostering of innovation with real tools and support.
16. American Heart Association, headquartered in Dallas: The AHA prioritizes wellness through perks that include a holiday break free of email. It also prioritizes ongoing education, and is known for having staff that are genuinely concerned about the association's mission and are willing to extend or alter their hours to accommodate community events.
17. Atlantic Health System, headquartered in Morristown, NJ: The system provides a “healing culture” that includes a mentorship program, pet therapy for employees, and an artist-in-residence exhibit. Employees observe the hiring of a diverse staff creates an open-minded environment.
18. Great Lakes Caring, headquartered in Jackson, MI: Perks include a telecommute option and health coverage for part-timers working 30+ hours per week.
19. Cottage Health, headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA: This system is known for generous benefits including coverage of 97% of employees’ healthcare premiums and 85% of dependents’ premiums, as well as its 50% matching of employee contributions to the company 401k plan, up to 6% of salary. Employees note that rather than a purely top down style of leadership, the system allows them to make cost-neutral improvements within their departments.
20. Benco Dental, headquartered in Pittston, PA.: This family-owned business treats everyone like one of the family, employees say, through a close-knit work environment, two-way communication and annual profit sharing.