Centegra Health System

Source: AARP.org | August 30, 2006

Winning years: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Industry: Hospitals/Healthcare
Location: Woodstock, IL
URL: www.centegra.com

Highlights of 2007 Winning Strategies

Centegra has a nationally recognized Alumni Nurse program, which uses retired nursing staff. The phased retirement program offers a variety of flexible scheduling options, including part-time work, registry, 10- and 12-hour shifts, summers off, and weekend program.

Additional Policies and Practices:

• Recruiting: Centegra uses senior placement agencies to target mature workers and retirees.
• Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: Centegra offers these learning and development programs to its full- and part-time employees: tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, on-line training, certification classes, and communication trainings/leadership development workshops. Part-time employees must work 8+ hrs/week to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement program. In the past 12 months, 98% of Centegra employees participated in at least one of the training opportunities with an average of 39 hours spent in training. The "Crucial Conversations" program is a 16-hour training course to help resolve issues, build stronger relationships, and keep patients safe. As a result of the employee opinion survey, the hospital provided these benefit enhancements: additional wellness services, addition of AFLAC and Majestic Mortgage services, increased accrued time off for long-time employees, monthly one-on-one financial planning meetings for those age 50+, enhanced security, and increased concierge services (dry cleaning services/video rental/schedule massages/shipping/purchase gift certificates).
• Benefits/Health: Full- and part-time employees (working 8+ hrs/week) receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription drug coverage, individual and family vision and dental insurance, and short-term disability. Long-term disability is offered exclusively to full-time employees. Centegra offers an FSA plan to assist employees with out-of-pocket health care costs.
• Benefits/Financial: Centegra offers a 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match to its full- and part-time employees. Employees may invest in lifecycle funds, and employees 50+ can make catch-up contributions. Employees receive financial planning information from staff members, the firm that administers their 401(k), and external experts not associated with the 401(k). In addition, "Financial Planning - Ensuring Your Quality of Life" is offered to employees over 50 and their spouses. Centegra offers short-term time off without pay to allow for caregiving, and, through the "Caring Friends" program, employees can donate their PTO hours to other employees needing time off. Full- and part-time employees are offered these wellness programs: flu shots, health screenings, health risk appraisals, smoking cessation programs, health club discounts, physical activity/exercise programs, weight loss programs, and stress management training. Thirty-two percent of Centegra employees have utilized at least one of these wellness benefits in the past 12 months. Fourteen percent of Centegra employees participated in their "Wellness for Life" program which helps employees identify and/or prevent health issues and make healthy choices easy as well as affordable and enjoyable, and provides rewards for making good choices. Centegra offers on site childcare, back-up care for childcare, and referral services to assist with childcare to its full- and part-time employees.
• Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: To its full- and part-time employees, Centegra offers these alternative work arrangements: flex-time, compressed work schedules, job sharing, telecommuting, and a formal phased retirement program. Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent and temporary basis.
• Opportunities for Retirees: Centegra currently has 12 retirees and an individual directly responsible for retiree relations. Centegra stays connected with its retirees by inviting retirees to organization events/celebrations and by formally acknowledging them when they retire.
• Age of Workforce: Twenty-nine percent of Centegra employees are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 11 years .

Winning Strategies 2006

Within the past three years, Centegra reports that it has made significant changes to its benefits plan and services to promote work/life balance. Centegra offers associates their own complimentary personalized concierge service which takes care of the dry cleaning, oil changes, car washes, restaurant reservations, gift wrapping and purchase, floral delivery, as well as shoe and watch repair.

Other Benefits:

• Recruiting: The hospital uses senior placement agencies to target mature workers and retirees.
• Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: In 2005 Centegra invested an average of $898.00 per associate for training and development. The Leadership Development Program develops leaders' skills that enable the achievement of organizational goals, and improve individual leadership performance. The hospital offers the following learning and development programs to its full- and part-time employees: tuition reimbursement (8% used past 12 months), in-house classroom training (96% used past 12 months), on-line training (96% used past 12 months), and certification classes (27% used past 12 months). Employees must work at least eight hours per week to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement program. Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, parties, awards, and gifts are given to those with 10+ years of service.
• Benefits/Health: Full- and part-time employees (working at least eight hrs/week) receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription drug coverage, individual and family vision insurance, individual and family dental insurance, as well as short-term disability. Long-term disability is offered to employees working at least 20 hours per week. Twenty-six percent of employees are enrolled in the individual medical and prescription drug plan while 46% are enrolled in the employee and family medical and prescription drug plan. Twenty-six percent of employees are enrolled in the individual vision plan, 46% in the employee and family vision plan, 24% in the individual dental plan, 57% in the employee and family dental plan, 80% in the short-term disability plan and 100% in the long-term disability plan. The hospital offers a health flexible spending account.
• Benefits/Financial: The hospital offers a 401(k) retirement savings plan to its full and part-time employees. Employees age 50+ can make "catch-up" contributions to their 401(k) account and also invest in lifecycle funds. The hospital matches employees with one year of service, age 21+, and those working 1000 hours or more per year. The match is $.50 for every $1.00 up to 2% with no vesting period.

Winning Strategies 2005

Like other health care systems, Centegra's challenge is recruitment. Recruiting retired nurses to fill shortages is one way the health care system is harnessing the skills and knowledge of its retired employees. The health care system offers a wide variety of training.

Under Centegra's Alumni Nurse Program, alumni nurses can choose among flexible work arrangements, and assist primary nurses with administrative responsibilities. They are not required to provide direct patient care. Centegra's primary nurses benefit from the retired nurses' experience and are relieved of some of their administrative responsibilities. And patients benefit from more attention.

In 2004, Centegra invested $852 per employee for development and growth opportunities. In addition to a flexible work environment, Centegra allows employees to donate unused paid time off to coworkers who have exhausted their time off so they can care for family members.

Benefits

• Full-time employees pay 20 percent of the premium for employee and family health insurance, while part-time employees pay 24 percent. Centegra pays short- and long-term disability in full for full-time employees. Short-term disability is offered to part-time employees but is entirely employee funded.
• Centegra offers a 401(k) plan to all employees, matching 50 cents for every dollar up to two percent with no vesting period.

Twenty-six percent of Centegra's employees are 50+. Twelve percent of new hires in the past year are 50+.