Black River Falls Memorial: Medium-size providers/insurers

When Jennie Drangstveit was a kid, her mother was a patient at the hospital in Black River Falls in central Wisconsin. It could have been more difficult for her, but the people who worked at the small-town hospital went out of their way to help her family through the ordeal.

“I just loved the nurses,” Drangstveit said. “They would give me recipes to make at home. I really got attached to those ladies.” The place reflected the little town where most people knew each other, like a large extended family. Several decades later, the town has grown quite a bit. But Black River Falls Memorial Hospital still has that small-town caring atmosphere.

The 25-bed hospital is No. 2 among medium-size providers/insurers on Modern Healthcare's list of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare for 2016 and No. 4 overall. Drangstveit still feels that compassion—now every day as a longtime member of the hospital's staff. She was so touched by the caring staff when her mom was a patient, that when she turned 16 she got a job in the hospital's kitchen.

Now, she's director of nutritional services. She says the hospital attracts employees who want to help others, and senior leaders have the same values. “That compassion comes from the top down,” Drangstveit said. “People here care about people; they care about their families.”

Black River also has the tangible benefits that make it an attractive place to work—from big things such as competitive pay that increases yearly, flexible scheduling and support for additional education, as well as seemingly little perks such as free on-site chair massages.

But Drangstveit said the attributes that make it great is harder to define, and rooted in the people the hospital hires. “It's a very fuzzy, positive atmosphere, just a warm, comforting place,” Drangstveit said.