Scripps Health Honored Among Nation’s Top Employers by AARP and Working Mother Magazine
September 22, 2009 Tweet
San Diego – Scripps Health has been named to AARP’s 2009 listing of the 50 Best Employers for Workers Over 50, while Working Mother magazine has named Scripps Health to its 2009 list of America’s 100 Best Companies for its family-friendly policies.
The selections will be published in the October issues of AARP The Magazine and Working Mother. Scripps Health is the only San Diego-based organization to be named to either of these national lists in 2009. Scripps Health has been included on the AARP list for six consecutive years and the Working Mother list for five straight years.
AARP recognized Scripps for creating policies that value its mature workers, including its employee wellness program, flexible work schedules, opportunities for training and career development and benefits for current and retired employees. Working Mother cited Scripps for establishing a work environment that is attractive to all women, particularly working mothers, with policies such as job sharing, child care, telecommuting and flextime.
Mature and female employees are an important part of Scripps’ workforce. Approximately 34 percent of Scripps’ employees are age 50 or older and 78 percent of employees are women. In 2008, Scripps hired its largest number of nurses over age 50 and the number of female nurses earning over $90,000 tripled last year.
Scripps spends nearly one million dollars annually to subsidize child-care for employees. As a new employee and mother, Scripps administrative director Bridgett Sellars, has found back up child care at Bright Horizons to be an invaluable benefit. “The teachers are extremely interactive, provide healthy snacks and give me a thorough report of my child’s day,” says Sellars. “They are advocates for Scripps’ employees and I know my child is very safe there.”
Victor Buzachero, senior vice president of human resources for Scripps Health, said Scripps considers the full life cycles of employees and solicits their input before designing benefits packages. “We have a diverse workforce, so our approach is to offer our employees a wide range of benefits to choose from, to help them through the various cycles of their lives and careers,” Buzachero said.
Scripps Health achieved high marks in a workforce satisfaction survey earlier this year. The vast majority of Scripps’ employees – 87 percent – reported in 2009 they agree that Scripps Health is a great place to work. In January 2009, Scripps was named to FORTUNE magazine’s list of America’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, marking the second consecutive year the health care provider has received this prestigious national ranking.
Scripps Health President and CEO Chris Van Gorder says employee satisfaction can help lead to improvements in the quality of patient care. “By listening and responding to our employees’ needs, we allow them to grow within Scripps in a position that meets their needs, and our patients benefit through the care and compassion of our talented employees. Together, we are making Scripps an award-winning place to work.”
A satisfied workforce has helped Scripps 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.
ABOUT SCRIPPS HEALTH
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 12,700 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 2008, 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 $268 million in uncompensated care in 2008. Scripps Health Foundation generated $46 million in charitable donations in 2008 to support the Scripps mission.
Contact: Rachel Lichterman
Phone: 858-678-7348
Email: lichterman.rachel@scrippshealth.org