Scripps Health Named to Fortune Magazine’s 2009 100 Best Companies to Work For List

Scripps Health has been named to Fortune magazine’s 12th annual list of America’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”

Scripps ranked No. 59 on this year’s list and is only the second San Diego-based company to make the list since the list’s inception in 1998, joining Qualcomm.

The ranking particularly acknowledges Scripps for:

• Biannual salary adjustments that keep pay levels competitive
• A phased retirement option allowing older employees to work part time with full-time benefits
• Paying employees nearly $6 million in success shares awards for meeting performance objectives

“Scripps is honored to be acknowledged for the second time by Fortune as one of America’s premier employers,” said Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of Scripps Health. “We are especially proud of being recognized this year given the state of the economy and the actions many employers have been forced to take. The foundation of our organization is our people and therefore this recognition takes on a special importance to us this year.”

Scripps’ success in creating an attractive work environment stems from listening to its employees’ feedback to set organizational priorities, including compensation, benefits and leadership development. Fortune recognized Scripps for staying competitive on salaries by making biannual marketplace salary adjustments; offering a phased retirement option that allows older employees to work part time with full-time benefits; and paying nearly $6 million in success shares awards to 11,000 employees in December 2008 for meeting performance objectives. Despite the economic downturn, Scripps plans to continue the success shares program in 2009.

The list will appear in the Feb. 2 issue of Fortune and is available online. To select its “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, Fortune works with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. A total of 353 companies participated in this year’s survey and more than 81,000 employees at those companies responded to a 57-question survey created by the Great Place to Work Institute, a global research and consulting firm.

“This accomplishment is a result of the entire organization’s efforts and it acknowledges our determination to create and maintain one of the most attractive work environments in the country,” said Vic Buzachero, senior vice president of human resources for Scripps Health. “We’ve found it’s important to listen closely to what our employees have to say, and use their feedback to improve the workplace. At Scripps, the bottom line is doing what’s best for our patients and our people.”

Scripps has demonstrated remarkable success with employee retention. Approximately 27 percent of Scripps’ workforce has been with the organization for more than 10 years, and about 10 percent have been with Scripps for more than 20 years.

Scripps’ turnover rate for nurses — one of health care’s most competitive employment sectors — stands at 10 percent, well below California industry standards.

For the “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, two-thirds of the company’s score is based on results of the 57-question survey, which is sent to a minimum of 400 randomly selected employees from each company. The remaining one-third of the scoring is based on the company’s responses to the Great Place to Work Institute’s culture audit, which includes questions about demographics, pay and benefits, and open-ended questions on philosophy, communication and more.

The Fortune magazine ranking comes on the heels of two other national accolades Scripps Health has received for workplace excellence:

• No. 2 in the nation in AARP’s listing of the 50 Best Employers for Workers Over 50
• Working Mother Magazine’s 100 Best Companies

Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a $2 billion nonprofit community health system based in San Diego, Calif. Scripps treats a half-million patients annually through the dedication of 2,600 affiliated physicians and 12,300 employees among its five acute-care hospital campuses, home health care services, and an ambulatory care network of clinics, physician offices and outpatient centers.

Recognized as a leader in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, Scripps is also at the forefront of clinical research and graduate medical education.

In 2007, Scripps committed more than $150 million in capital and facility improvements across the San Diego region while providing significant charity care to the community — more than $236 million in uncompensated care in 2007.

Scripps Health Foundation generated $74 million in charitable donations in 2007 to support the Scripps mission.

Scripps Health includes:

• Scripps Green Hospital
• Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas
• Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
• Two Scripps Mercy Hospital campuses in San Diego and Chula Vista
• 10 Scripps Clinic locations
• Nine Scripps Coastal Medical Center locations
• Scripps Home Health Care Services
• Scripps Clinical Research Services

Contact: Stephanie Grant

Phone: 858-678-6381

E-mail: Grant.Stephanie@scrippshealth.org

Contact: Jaime Szefc

Phone: 858-678-7348

E-mail: Szefc.Jaime@scrippshealth.org