Overall winner:
Yuma Regional Medical Center
Caring for people is YRMC's business;
caring about its employees is key to its success

Caring for people is the focus at Yuma Regional Medical Center, where administrators recognize that the organization's success depends on caring about its employees.

And if nominations by 27 employees from various departments are any indication, YRMC must be doing something right.

The overall winner of the Workplace Excellence Award 2006, YRMC was chosen by judges because it fosters a "family feeling" despite its large employee population, continues to provide superior leadership and education for their employees despite constant change and rapid growth, and the "impressive volume of feedback from employees" was hard to ignore.

"At Yuma Regional Medical Center, our focus is on improving the health and well-being of our community, assisting patients and families, (and) creating a pleasant and efficient work environment for our staff and physicians," wrote Bob Olsen, president and CEO at YRMC, in the organization's Workplace Excellence application.

The organization has identified some of the human resource practice areas that have helped make it a great place to work.

Learning, Training
and Development

"YRMC's 'Grow Our Own' philosophy is illustrated through our innovative educational programs," wrote Sharon R. Gardner, vice president of human resources at YRMC, in the application. "Employees are our greatest resource and the ability to strengthen their current and future roles within the organization is the key to our success."

The organization's Leadership Academy assists those aspiring to move into leadership roles, and its Leadership, Evaluation, Assessment and Development (LEAD) Program prepares and mentors employees interested in continuing the organization's growth.

But training is not only for potential leaders. YRMC also provides employees with diverse internal training classes and tuition assistance for formal education.

Employee Engagement,
Communications and Morale

"YRMC has created programs to enhance the work environment through recognition, team activities and communication" which has resulted in the organization being ranked in the nation's top 10 percent of health organizations nationwide, Gardener said.

Through the YEAH! programs (Yuma Employee Awards & Honors, Yuma Employee Activities & Happenings, and You're Everything Around Here), employees are recognized for exceptional acts of caring, are rewarded with planned group vacations and local outings, and are treated to themed hospital events designed to show appreciation for jobs well done.

In a health care setting, it is vital to convey accurate information, and YRMC employs a variety of communication options. Information is communicated individually as well as in departmental meetings.

Written communication includes intranet and e-mail notices and company periodicals such as The Pulse (monthly) and Nobody Ever Tells Me Anything (NETMA, biweekly). The company's leaders also provide messages via quarterly NETMA meetings and videos.

Employee Relations,
Inclusiveness and Diversity

"Our inclusive culture is ingrained - we think of ourselves only as a respectful, caring organization," Gardner said. Employees may discuss any concerns with on-site human resource personnel. And "with 130 trained employee interpreters available daily to aid our Spanish-speaking patients and families, our staff population reflects the demographics of the community we serve," she said.

Age diversity is also practiced at YRMC. In an effort to stay well staffed despite nationwide health care worker shortages, YRMC offers flexible staffing variations, such as part-time and seasonal positions and the Nine to Three Program, which allows employees to work nine months then take three months off. These practices have led to happy employees who recommend YRMC to friends and family as a great place to work. "As a result, our workforce includes four generations and often several generations from the same family," Gardner said.

Recently, YRMC was recognized by AARP as 33rd in the nation for a Friendly Place to Work for Older Workers.

Executive
Perspective

"YRMC is on a journey to excellence, with the goal of creating a world-class organization," Olsen said. And that goal will be achieved by YRMC providing a great place for patients to receive care, exceptional facilities and support where physicians want to practice medicine, and an environment where employees are valued and appreciated, he said. "At the end of the day, we must always remember that 'people' are the core of what we do."

Some reasons why employees nominated YRMC

WHAT THE EMPLOYEES SAID

"I have been an employee for over 25 years. Throughout that time, YRMC has listened to employee concerns and reacted to those suggestions. It has maintained high regard for keeping employees satisfied and has stayed up with national and regional issues to keep itself as a desirable place to work."

- Martin G. Schotten, clinical resource coordinator

"The culture of promoting personal and professional growth starts with the CEO and senior leadership and is carried on throughout the organization. Yuma Regional believes in investing in people."

- Jill Labossiere, director of care coordination

"As a travel nurse, I have worked in several hospitals throughout the United States and I can honestly say YRMC displays the best teamwork, continued education and gestures of appreciation of any place I have ever worked."

- Deborah M. Troy, registered nurse

WHAT YRMC IS ALL ABOUT

Yuma Regional Medical Center:

- Employs 1,900+ employees, 200+ physicians and 250+ volunteers
- Offers modern facilities as a 333-bed acute care hospital

YRMC Women and Children Service features:

- A 34-bed obstetrics unit
- A 2EQ neonatal intensive care unit
- A 20-bed pediatric unit

YRMC surgical services provide:

- Full cardiovascular services
- Women's surgical service
- A freestanding outpatient surgery center