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West Virginia University Hospitals

Winning years:  2007, 2006, 2005 2004
Industry:  Hospitals/Healthcare
Location:  Morgantown, WV
URL:  www.wvuh.com

Highlights of 2007 Winning Strategies

West Virginia University Hospitals (WVUH) offers multiple incentives for employees interested in phasing into retirement. Options include flexible scheduling including 8-, 10-, or 12-hour shifts, per diem work, and weekend only scheduling, as well as job sharing and telecommuting if the position can support it. Any of the pre-listed options would allow the employee working at least 20 hours per week to maintain full benefits with health coverage, participate in the 403(b) plan, and accrue PTO.

Additional Policies and Practices

• Recruiting: West Virginia University Hospitals uses senior placement agencies to target mature workers and retirees. RNs who have been out of the work force and wish to return can apply to the hospital's Registered Nurse Refresher Program, complete the 2-week course, and then work at the hospitals. WVUH also uses state licensure listings to recruit retirees and others interested in reentering the work force.
• Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: To its full- and part-time employees, WVUH offers the following learning and development programs: tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, on-line training, and certification classes. Part-time employees must work 20+ hrs/week to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement and certification classes programs. In the past 12 months, 100 percent of WVUH employees took part in at least one training opportunity with an average of 4 training hours. WVUH has numerous training opportunities that are posted on the intranet site and promoted in staff meetings. The EAP offers a variety of seminars on topics including preparing for retirement, eldercare, work-life balance, and parenting skills. Employee requests have spurred the enhancement of numerous employee benefits, including additions to a vision plan, long-term care insurance plan, AFLAC cancer income protection plan, dental insurance plan, health care expense reimbursement account, universal life insurance, mail order prescription service, and increased dependent life insurance benefits. In addition, employee requests resulted in an enriched catastrophic leave policy and an increased amount of PTO that an employee can roll over. One example of a special accommodation made for an employee needing flexibility for pain management involved giving her a set amount of hours that needed to be worked each week and she was able to determine her own schedule based on her needs.
• Benefits/Health: Full- and part-time employees (working 20+ hrs/week) receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription drug coverage, individual and family vision and dental insurance, and individual and family long-term care insurance as well as short-term disability. Employees working at least 32 hours per week receive long-term disability. WVUH offers employees an FSA plan to assist with out-of-pocket health care costs.
• Benefits/Financial: WVUH offers a 403(b) retirement savings plan to its full- and part-time employees. It provides full-time employees a company match to their 403(b) plan after two years of service. WVUH encourages employees to participate in the 403(b) plan by offering them the option to choose to invest in lifecycle funds, and employees 50+ can make catch-up contributions. Employees receive financial planning information from staff members, from the financial services firm that administers their 403(b), and from external financial planning experts not associated with the 403(b). WVUH offers short-term time off without pay as well as long-term leaves of absence without pay to allow for caregiving. It extends the following wellness programs to full- and part-time employees: flu shots, health screenings, health risk appraisals, smoking cessation programs, health club discounts, physical activity/exercise programs, weight loss programs, and stress management training. Eighty-two percent of WVUH employees have utilized at least one of these wellness benefits in the past 12 months. Employees can also take advantage of a program that aims at reversing heart disease, "The Dr. Dean Ornish Program;" health insurance covers the cost for those who qualify. On-site childcare and referral services to assist with childcare are offered to full- and part-time employees.
• Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: WVUH offers the following alternative work arrangements to its full- and part-time employees: flextime, compressed work schedules, job sharing, and telecommuting. Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent or temporary basis.
• Opportunities for Retirees: WVUH stays connected with its retirees by formally acknowledging them on the occasion of their retirement. It offers them temporary work assignments, consulting/contract work, and telecommuting, as well as full- and part-time work.
• Age of Workforce: Twenty percent of WVUH employees are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 11.9 years.

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"Winning Strategies 2006

In the past three years, West Virginia University Hospitals made the following improvements to their benefits due to employee requests:  added vision care, long-term care, dental insurance, and AFLAC cancer income protection plan; implemented health care expense reimbursement account and mail order prescription policy; and increased amount of PTO employee can roll over to the following year.  For employees phasing into retirement, the hospital offers flexible scheduling such as 8-10-12 hour shifts, working per diem, job sharing and telecommuting with the employee maintaining full benefits.

Other Benefits:

• Recruiting:  The hospital stays in contact with retirees and individuals who left to take care of children by sending a quarterly ‘miss you’ letter inviting them to return to work either on a part-time, full-time, casual or per diem level.
• Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: The hospital offers the following learning and development programs to its full and part-time employees:  tuition reimbursement (6% used past 12 months), in-house classroom training (77% used past 12 months, on-line training (100% used past 12 months), and certification classes.  Part-time employees must work 20 hours per week to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement and certification classes training.  Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, parties, awards, and longevity payments are issued to many employees with four years of service.
• 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, individual and family dental insurance, individual and family long-term care insurance, as well as short and long-term disability.  34% of employees are enrolled in the individual medical and prescription drug plan while 53% are enrolled in the employee and family medical and prescription drug plan.  10% of employees are enrolled in the individual vision plan, 15% in the employee and family vision plan, 14% in the individual dental plan, 17% in the employee and family dental plan, 1% in the individual and family long-term care insurance plan, 1% in the short-term disability plan, and 55% in the long-term disability plan.  The hospital offers a health flexible spending account and a health savings account.
• Benefits/Financial: The hospital offers a 401(k) retirement savings plan to its full and part-time employees.   The hospital matches 100% of the first 6% that an employee contributes after two years of service.  Employees age 50+ can make ‘catch-up’ contributions and can choose to invest in lifecycle funds for their 401(k) account.  The hospital offers on-site child care, and referral services to assist with child care.  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, stress management training, and weight loss programs.  In the past 12 months, 65% of employees have utilized at least one of the above wellness benefits.  The hospital’s Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days attracts thousands of employees as well as community members.
• Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: The hospital offers the following alternative work arrangements to its full and part-time employees:  flex time (1% participation), compressed work schedules (14% participation), job sharing (2% participation), and telecommuting.  Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent and temporary basis.
• Opportunities for Retirees: There is an individual who has a direct responsibility for retiree relations.  The hospital stays connected with its retirees by formally acknowledging retirees on the occasion of their retirement.  Retirees are offered the following work arrangements:  temporary work assignments, consulting/contract work, telecommuting, as well as full and part-time work.
• Age of Workforce: Nineteen percent of the hospital’s employees are 50+.  Eight percent of the hospital’s past twelve month new hires are 50+.  The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 13.8 years.