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St. Mary's Medical Center

Winning years: 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003
Industry: Hospitals/Healthcare
Location: Huntington, WV
URL: www.st-marys.org

Winning Strategies 2006

St. Mary's Medical Center added the following benefits within the last three years due to employee requests: implemented St. Mary's Adult Resident Team (S.M.A.R.T.) which recognizes senior employees; added 'Body Challenge' which encourages physical, mental and emotional wellness; implemented annual retirement planning program for all staff; added well baby/child care and preventive care to employee medical plan; amended pension plan to add phased-in retirement; and raised tuition reimbursement to $1,500 per year and $2,000 per year for managers. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 17.9 years.

Other Benefits:

• Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities The health system offers the following learning and development programs to its employees: tuition reimbursement (6.4% used past 12 months), in-house classroom training (100% used past 12 months), on-line training (97% used past 12 months), and certification classes (28% used past 12 months). Employees must work 40 hours per week to receive the tuition reimbursement benefit, while employees must work at least 20 hours per week to be eligible for the certification classes. Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, parties, awards, gifts, and employees with 25 years of service receive a gold watch.
• 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, and individual and family long-term care insurance. Employees working at least 36 hours per week are eligible for individual and family dental insurance while those working 40 hours per week receive long-term disability. Twenty-four percent of employees are enrolled in the individual medical and prescription drug plan while 76% are enrolled in the employee and family medical and prescription drug plan. Eighteen percent in the individual dental plan, 100% in the employee and family dental plan, 30% in the individual and family long-term care plan, and 100% in the long-term disability plan. The health system offers a health flexible spending account and deductibles and co-pays are waved for all services billed by and payable to St. Mary's Medical Center.
• Benefits/Financial: The health system offers a defined benefit and a 403(b) retirement savings plan to its full- and part-time employees. The health system offers on-site child care, referral services to assist with child care and elder care, and back-up care for child care. All of the child care benefits are offered to employees grandchildren. St. Mary's has many employees caring for their parents and offers the services of Care Management which includes their Social Services Department to assist with elder care. The following wellness programs are offered to full and part-time employees: flu shots, health screenings, smoking cessation programs, health club discounts, stress management programs, exercise programs, and weight loss programs. Seventy-one percent of employees have utilized at least one of the above wellness benefits in the past 12 months.
• Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: The health system offers the following alternative work arrangements to its full- and part-time employees: flex time (44% participation), compressed work schedules (22% participation), job sharing (1% participation), and telecommuting (30% participation). Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent and temporary basis. The health system's phased retirement program allows the employee to count their five highest years of compensation toward their final pension calculation rather that their last five years of compensation.
• Opportunities for Retirees: The health system currently has 441 retirees. There is an individual who has a direct responsibility for retiree relations. The health system stays connected with its retirees by inviting retirees to organization events or celebrations and formally acknowledging employees on the occasion of their retirement. Employees and retirees join St. Mary's Travel Club to travel as a group with their families. Retirees are offered temporary work assignments, consulting/contract work, and part-time work.
• Age of Workforce: Twenty-four percent of the health system's employees are 50+. Nine percent of the health system's past twelve month new hires are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 17.9 years.

Winning Strategies 2005

St. Mary's Medical Center is accommodating nurses who create their own work schedules and update their skills through continuing education. It says that the program has solved staffing needs and increased employee satisfaction. Employees can job shadow and take multilevel and cross-training courses.

Employees can phase into retirement without hurting their pension, as the pension plan counts their five highest (rather than last five) years toward their final pension calculation. They must wait until they retire to collect benefits.

Young people are learning about the health care field by job shadowing at St. Mary's, touring the hospitals, and gaining first-hand experience.

Benefits:

• Health Insurance: coverage for eligible employees is effective on date of hire. St. Mary's pays 100 percent of the family and single plans. The deductible is $500 for Family coverage and $250 for single coverage. Part-time employees pay 50 percent of the premium for health insurance coverage. The plan includes prescription coverage in which the employee pays 20 percent of the prescription. Prescriptions can also be filled in the hospital's Inpatient Pharmacy.
• Dental Insurance: Fulltime employees are eligible after one year of full-time employment. St. Mary's pays the premium for this coverage.
• Life Insurance: St. Mary's provides and pays the premium for $25,000 basic life insurance for full-time employees after six months of full-time employment.
• Long Term Disability: This is a benefit for full-time employees and goes into effect after one year of employment.
• Retirement: St. Mary's provides a fully funded defined benefit plan to all employees.
• Tax Sheltered Annuity/Deferred compensation Plans. Offered to all full and part-time employees through AIG VALIC.
• Additional Insurance: Additional, optional insurance for par-and full-time employees is available through payroll deduction (i.e., Life Insurance, Cancer Insurance, Personal Recovery Plus, and Long-term Care Insurance.

Twenty-three percent of the health care system's employees are 50+. Seven percent of the past 12-month new hires are 50+.

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