Scripps Health Named to Fortune Magazine’s National “100 Best Companies to Work For” List in 2011

Scripps Health has been named to Fortune magazine’s 14th annual list of America’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”

Scripps ranked No. 37 on this year’s list and is the second San Diego-based company to make the list since the list’s inception in 1998, joining Qualcomm.

“Scripps is honored to be acknowledged for the fourth time by Fortune as one of America’s premier employers,” said Chris Van Gorder , president and CEO of Scripps. “We are proud of the care we provide our community and of the national reputation we have earned as a health care leader. This accomplishment is a result thousands of people, moving in the same direction, with the same values and dedication of purpose.”

Fortune recognized Scripps for its ongoing training programs. Every employee, from new hires to senior managers, participates in at least one learning program a year. Last year Scripps invested $30 million in training and employee development initiatives. Scripps’ success in creating an attractive work environment also stems from listening to its employees’ feedback to set organizational priorities, including benefits, leadership development, and compensation. Scripps was able to stay competitive on salaries during the economic downturn 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 more than $9 million in bonuses to more than 11,000 employees in December 2010 for meeting performance objectives.

“We are one of the ‘100 Best’ due to the engagement of our employees, who share their opinions about our programs and help us continually improve our workplace,” said Victor Buzachero, corporate senior vice president of innovation, human resources and performance management for Scripps. “Scripps is quickly becoming a career destination nationally and locally due to our reputation as a great place to work.”

In 2009, more than 146,000 online applications were filed at Scripps and 3,731 people were hired. Because of Scripps’ strong workplace practices and reputation, the organization receives a staggering 1.2 million website hits for employment each year.

“Scripps offers outstanding opportunities for career development and advancement as well as the financial and personal support to pursue your goals,” says Mike Sykes, RN, who joined Scripps in 1987 as a cardiovascular tech and has systematically been promoted to his currently position of administrative director of clinical services at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. “I was able to take advantage of several financial assistance programs through Scripps to help cover tuition costs, and my colleagues were always supportive while I was attending school and working full-time.”

The list will appear in the Feb. 7 issue of Fortune. 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 311 companies participated in this year’s survey and employees at those companies responded to a 58-question survey created by the Great Place to Work Institute, a global research and consulting firm.

The Fortune magazine ranking comes on the heels of two other national accolades Scripps Health has received for workplace excellence. Working Mother magazine named Scripps to its 2010 list of America’s 100 Best Companies for its family-friendly policies, and Scripps made AARP’s 2009 listing, for the sixth consecutive year, of the 50 Best Employers for Workers Over 50. Additionally, Scripps was recently named among the nation’s top 10 hospital systems in 2010 by Thomson Reuters.

About Scripps Health

Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a $2.3 billion, private not-for-profit integrated health system based in San Diego, Calif. Scripps treats a half-million patients annually through the dedication of 2,500 affiliated physicians and 13,000 employees among its five acute-care hospital campuses, home health care services, and ambulatory care network of physician offices and 22 outpatient centers and clinics.

Recognized as a leader in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, Scripps is also at the forefront of clinical research, genomic medicine, wireless health care and graduate medical education. Scripps has been recognized by Thomson Reuters as one of the Top 10 health systems in the nation for quality care. More information can be found at www.scripps.org.

Media Contact: Lisa Ohmstede

Phone: 858-626-7142

E-mail: ohmstede.lisa@scrippshealth.org