(Chelsea Update would like to thank Laura Blodgett for the information in this story.)
Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) has been named one of the 2017 Top Workplaces by The Detroit Free Press in the “large company” category. Winners were selected based on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by Energage, a leading research firm on organizational health and employee engagement, which measured several aspects of workplace culture.
“We all know that health care is one of the most challenging and complex professions in the world, but a healthy workplace culture with caring employees makes the journey both easier and more enjoyable,” said Rob Casalou, regional president and CEO, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System. “Patients receive the best care when their caregivers genuinely care about their team and the work they do every day.”
The employee survey was conducted for six weeks from July to Aug.15, 2017 with SJMHS receiving an outstanding 56 percent response rate with 5,786 employee responses.
Organizational alignment, including operating with strong values and ethics, was the highest-scoring theme at SJMHS. Colleagues responded that they feel the health system is going in the right direction with good inter-departmental cooperation across the health system and limited negativity.
“This recognition is first and foremost a testament to our colleagues who every day make St. Joe’s a great place to work by embodying our core values of reverence, commitment to those who are poor, justice, stewardship and integrity — all which are elements that support our mission to be a transforming, healing presence in the communities we serve,” said Ane McNeil, regional chief human resource officer, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System.
SJMHS is driven to create and maintain environments where colleagues feel appreciated, engaged and energized to do their best work. St. Joe’s holds regular employee recognition events, most notably the Daisy Nurses award and the Be Remarkable award, as well as special celebrations during National Patient Safety Week and Nurses Weeks such as Mannequin Video contests and Nurses Olympics. St. Joe’s encourages wellness for staff through Colleague 5K Walk and Fun Runs, Departmental Kickball and Softball Leagues, onsite gym classes and gym memberships as well as hosting regular farmers markets inside its hospitals. SJMHS has the first hospital-based farm on its Ann Arbor campus as well as salons and spas in each hospital providing services for colleagues ranging from hair styling to massage.
SJMHS offers a generous benefits package including tuition reimbursement for full and part time workers, adoption assistance, onsite daycare at two hospitals, and retirement savings plan with company match.
Consisting of five award-winning hospitals and affiliated health centers serving southeast Michigan, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System hospitals include St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea, St. Joseph Mercy Livingston, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland and St. Mary Mercy Livonia. Combined, the five hospitals are licensed for 1,553 beds, have five outpatient health centers, six urgent care facilities, more than 25 specialty centers; employ more than 15,300 individuals and have a medical staff of nearly 2,700 physicians.
In the last year at SJMHS:
- 3.2 million patients have been served
- 6,464 babies were born (1 in 10 babies in southeast Michigan)
- 8,716 home care visits took place
- $109 million was given in community benefit support
“The Top Workplaces award is not a popularity contest. And oftentimes, people assume it’s all about fancy perks and benefits.” says Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage. “But to be a Top Workplace, organizations must meet our strict standards for organizational health. And who better to ask about work life than the people who live the culture every day—the employees. Time and time again, our research has proven that what’s most important to them is a strong belief in where the organization is headed, how it’s going to get there, and the feeling that everyone is in it together.
Claffey says, “Without this sense of connection, an organization doesn’t have a shot at being named a Top Workplace.”
