Physicians Surgical Hospitals - No. 8 in the 2015 Best Places to Work in Healthcare

Physicians Surgical Hospitals in Amarillo, Texas, typically has a staff turnover of under 5% a year, an enviable number for most hospitals, where turnover usually is closer to 15% a year.

Helping to retain employees are many of the common perks such as employee appreciation parties, bonuses and awards to staff. There are also some less typical benefits. For example, employees are treated to free breakfast and lunch every day, prepared by a chef. The two-hospital system also has a fitness center open round the clock for employees and family members.

The two hospitals, which mostly perform elective surgeries and pain management, while open 24/7, schedule most surgeries during the normal 9-to-5 workday. “That, frankly, is something employees like,” said CEO Brad McCall. “The majority of our staff works a regular workweek, which is unusual in healthcare.”

Physicians Surgical Hospitals is No. 1 on the ranking of small providers in Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare for 2015. It's No. 4 among all providers and No. 8 overall.

People like working there despite what seems like a hectic pace for 100 or so employees at each facility. They are involved in more than 650 surgeries a month between the two.

McCall believes less tangible factors also make Physicians Surgical stand out, including owners who aren't in a far-away corporate office and focus on hiring employees who fit the culture.

“What's our secret sauce? We have physicians who are owners and are highly engaged,” McCall said. That means “decisions are all made by doctors, not in a board room.”

And those doctors have insisted on higher than normal staffing ratios. “We try to keep our ratios on the pro-patient side, maybe not so much on the pro-pocketbook side,” McCall said.

That translates into a positive working environment because it reduces stress on the staff.

“Our nurse-to-patient ratio is 1 to 4 on average,” said Shannon Smith, a registered nurse and case manager. “You can take care of your patients like you want to take care of your patients.”

Those attributes, along with workplace perks, draw a lot of applications from the Texas Panhandle and the surrounding area who would like to be employed by Physicians Surgical—which in turn allows the company to strengthen its position as a good place to work because it can hire those who best fit the organization's culture.

“We're a coveted place to work,” McCall said. “That allows you to be selective.”