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St. Mary's Medical Center

Winning year: 2006
Industry: Hospitals/Healthcare
Location: Evansville, IN
URL: www.stmarys.org

Winning Strategies 2006

St. Mary's Medical Center retirees are offered a casual position in the hospital's Resource Pool upon retirement, allowing the retiree the option to stay employed and also enjoy their retirement. Thirty-five percent of the hospital's employees are 50+.

Other Benefits:

• Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: The hospital offers the following learning and development programs to its full and part-time employees: tuition reimbursement (4% used in past 12 months), in-house classroom training (73% used in past 12 months), on-line training (98% used in past 12 months), certification classes (55% used in past 12 months) as well as on-site software computer classes. The tuition assistance program was enhanced by eliminating the waiting period to apply for tuition assistance, increasing fiscal year reimbursement, and adding textbook reimbursement. Employees must work at least 20 hrs/week to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement program. Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, parties, and awards.
• Benefits/Health: Full and part-time employees (working at least 20 hrs/week) receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription drug coverage, individual and family vision insurance, as well as individual and family long-term care insurance. Full-time employees also receive individual and family dental insurance and long-term disability. The hospital offers a health flexible spending account.
• Benefits/Financial: The hospital offers a 401(k) plan as well as stock options/profit sharing to its full and part-time employees. Employer match for the 401(k) plan is fifty cents on the dollar up to 4% of earnings up to federal maximum allowable contribution. Employees may choose to invest in lifecycle funds that automatically re-allocate assets based on the employee's age or proximity to retirement and employees age 50+ can make 'catch-up' contributions. The hospital offers on-site child care to full and part-time employees as well as for employees to use for their grandchildren. In the past 12 months 2.5% of employees used the on-site child care center. The following wellness programs are offered to full and part-time employees: flu shots, health screenings, health risk appraisals, smoking cessation programs, health club discounts, exercise programs, weight loss programs, stress management training, as well as disease management and healthy lifestyle education seminars. 43% of the hospital's employees have utilized at least one of these wellness benefits in the past 12 months.
• Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: The hospital offers the following alternative work arrangements to its full and part-time employees: flex time (52% participation), compressed work schedules (4.7% participation), job sharing (2% participation), telecommuting (0.64% participation), and a formal phased retirement program (5% participation). Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent and temporary basis. The hospital offers paid time off that is specifically designated for care giving.
• Opportunities for Retirees: The hospital currently has 400 retirees. There is an individual who has a direct responsibility for retiree relations. The hospital stays connected with its retirees by communicating with retirees on a regular basis, inviting retirees to organization events/celebrations, and formally acknowledging retirees on the occasion of their retirement. Retirees are offered the following work arrangements: temporary work assignments, consulting/contract work, part and full-time work. Ten to twelve percent of retirees have worked either full or part-time for the hospital in the past 12 months.
• Age of Workforce: Thirty-five percent of the hospital's employees are 50+. Eleven percent of the hospital's past twelve month new hires are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 17 years.