SSM Health Care
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-08-30 10:08:46.382308-04:00
Winning years: 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003
Industry: Hospitals/Healthcare
Location: St. Louis, MO
URL: www.ssmhc.com
Winning Strategies 2006
SSM Health Care has a ‘Shared Accountability’ program in order to empower employees and encourage employee leadership by moving the governance of a department from manager to staff. Within the last three years, due to employee requests, the health system implemented a limited medical coverage plan for employees’ grandchildren; created the Healthy Living Initiative, which offers healthier meal options in the cafeteria as well as annual health fairs with various screenings at no cost to the employee; adopted a loan repayment option, and added a short-term disability option.
Other Benefits:
- Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: The health system offers the following learning and development programs to its full- and part-time employees: tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, on-line training, and certification classes. In 2005, SSM University was established to develop leadership potential for each employee and in the same year over 612,000 hours were dedicated to employee training. Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, parties, awards, and gifts for those with 30+ years of service. Employees with 20+ years of service receive cafeteria discounts. The health system also has a Long-Term Recognition Team which focuses on celebrating long-term employee contributions.
- Benefits/Health: Full- and part-time employees (working at least 32 hrs/week) receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family vision insurance, individual and family dental insurance, individual long-term care insurance, as well as short-term disability. Full-time employees are also eligible for long-term disability. Thirty-two percent of employees are enrolled in the individual medical plan while 45% are enrolled in the employee and family medical plan. Thirty percent of employees are enrolled in the individual vision and dental plan, 50% in the employee and family vision and dental plan, 2% in the individual long-term care plan, 13% in the short-term disability plan, and 66% in the long-term disability plan. The health system offers a health flexible spending account.
- Benefits/Financial: The health system offers a 403(b) and a 401(a) defined benefit retirement savings plan to its full and part-time employees. SSM matches $.50 for each dollar of the 403(b) contribution, and up to the first 3% of eligible compensation or the IRS maximum into the 401(a) plan. Employees age 50+ can make ‘catch-up’ contributions to their 403(b) account. The health system offers referral services to assist with child care and elder care. The health system gives employees the option of contributing up to $5,000 to the dependent care spending account and $3,000 towards the health care spending account annually. The following wellness programs are offered to full- and part-time employees: flu shots, health screenings, health risk appraisals, exercise programs, smoking cessation programs, health club discounts, stress management programs, and weight loss programs.
- Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: The health system offers the following alternative work arrangements to its full- and part-time employees: 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. The phased retirement plan allows employees who are at least 60 years old with at least five years of service the option to receive their pension while they continue to work at SSM.
- Opportunities for 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, providing retirees with ongoing access to retirement planning workshops/information, and formally acknowledging employees on the occasion of their retirement. Retirees are offered the following work arrangements: temporary work assignments, consulting/contract work, telecommuting, and part- and full-time work.
- Age of Workforce: Thirty-three percent of the health system ’ s employees are 50+. Fifteen percent of the health system ’ s past twelve month new hires are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 14.5 years.
Winning Strategies 2005
SSM Health Care (SSMHC) has added coverage for legally domiciled adults to its medical, dental, vision, long-term care, dependent term life, and supplemental life insurance plans. The added health coverage enables eligible overage children, domestic partners, parents, in-laws, and grandparents to receive coverage through SSMHC. In addition, SSMHC’s dependent care spending account allows staff members to pay for certain out-of-pocket child or elder care expenses with tax-free dollars.
SSMHC offers flexible work schedules and has a phased retirement program where the eligibility age is 60 when vested in the pension plan. Responding to employee feedback, SSMHC reimburses employees up to $12,480 to assist in student loan payments. In November 2004, SSMHC went tobacco free, eliminating designated areas outside of the hospitals where employees, patients, and visitors congregated to smoke. It made smoking cessation programs available for employees, patients, and visitors.
Benefits:
- Full-time employees pay on average 19 percent of the premium for family health insurance coverage and prescription drug benefit. Part-time employees (minimum 16 hours/week) pay on average 43 percent. Employees pay 100 percent of their short-term disability premium.
- SSMHC offers defined benefit and defined contribution plans. It matches 50 cents of each dollar of the 403(b) contribution (up to three percent of eligible compensation, or the IRS maximum) into a Match Savings 401(a) plan.
Thirty-three percent of SSMHC’s employees are 50+. Fourteen percent of new hires in the past year are 50+.
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