At Bon Secours Virginia, the health system's mission to be “Good Help to Those in Need” is one that has made it more than just a place to work for many of its more than 12,000 employees.
“Our mission at the end of the day is to take care of the patient, and we couldn't do that without our employees in whatever setting wherever they work,” says Paul Junod, an administrative director for human resources who has worked for the Richmond-based organization for eight years.
Bon Secours ranks No. 43 on Modern Healthcare's list of the 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare for 2013 and is No. 4 in the large employer category, those with more than 1,000 workers.
As Virginia's fourth-largest healthcare system, the not-for-profit Catholic provider operates seven hospitals throughout the state.
“There's just a very strong sense of culture and value in the organization,” says Kristin Crandall, who has worked as an administrative director of human resources at Bon Secours for the past six months. “There's a lot of involvement within the community and the organization lives its values, not only at work but within the community as well.”
Some of the community programs the provider operates include Care-A-Van, a mobile free health clinic that travels into underserved neighborhoods within the Greater Richmond area to provide care for the uninsured, and Noah's Children, which offers free care and support for dying children and their families.
The organization also is heavily involved in youth engagement. For the past five years, Bon Secours has worked with a local school for students diagnosed with autism in a recruiting program that invites them to work within its health system. Another program geared toward autistic children allows students to work at a Bon Secours hospital during the school year.
In an effort to recognize military veterans, last year the health system joined a coalition of health companies in the Hero Health Hire program, dedicated to the goal of employing wounded veterans.
Perhaps it is the organization's dedication to helping the community beyond providing medical care that has contributed to its low turnover rate of 11% last year. Of the more than 2,000 open positions filled at the provider during 2012, 41% were filled internally.
“It's engrained in our culture that the leaders from the top down are acutely aware and engaged in the process of listening to the team and making adjustments based on the team's recommendations,” Crandall says.
As part of its commitment to its employees, Bon Secours extends its health benefits package to part-timers and has established family centers at three of its facilities to provide day care at reduced costs.
Unlike many other companies that offer employees tuition reimbursement, Bon Secours also provides up to $5,000 a year in prepayment tuition assistance for those making less than $11 an hour.
“It's about the holistic approach, which includes employees and their families,” Junod says.
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