Neosho Memorial Regional: 'Millennials Award' winner for providers/insurers

The management at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center makes it clear to every staffer—from those who clean the place to the nurses and physicians on staff—that all are responsible, in some way, for taking care of patients and their families.

The message is part of the culture at the small hospital in the southeastern Kansas town of Chanute, said human resources officer Shelli Sheerer. “It gives everybody a sense of ownership,” she said. The result: Even the youngest workers have a sense of mission and that they're doing important work.

It's something that in other settings may not be felt by younger employees, who early in their careers may be on the margins of the organization's core work. Not at Neosho, Sheerer said.

“We feel a sense of dedication early on here,” says Sheerer, who at age 29 is part of the millennial generation, generally those born after 1980. Neosho Memorial is the winner of Modern Healthcare's inaugural Millennials Award for providers and insurers, which recognizes employers with significant numbers of millennials on staff who are highly engaged in the company. The hospital ranks No. 19 overall on Modern Healthcare's list of Best Places to Work in Healthcare.

It's also a great place for young people because of extensive opportunities for help with education. The hospital, which has 346 employees, will pay up to $10,000 for additional training or degrees.

Younger staff, who typically are lower on the pay scale, have benefited from a little bit higher take-home pay thanks to a hospital decision to absorb the cost of higher health premiums for seven years. The staff also gets discounts for on-site fitness classes and gym memberships.

The chance to feel part of the mission and get additional training helps the hospital, in a small town of just around 10,000 people, attract and keep young people, rather than seeing them move on to bigger cities. “We're in a small community, but we're doing some very big things,” Sheerer said.