A two-state health care organization serving a 35-county area in southeast Georgia and South Carolina, including a 530-bed tertiary medical center, a home care division, physician networks and other services - that's the official description of Memorial Healthcare in Savannah.
Few workers think in official terms, however. Wanda Horton, RN, who works in the medical surgical intermediate care unit, describes Memorial Healthcare as "a family where everybody's involved from the top down.
"It's a place where you know you're going to work hard and learn a lot. It's fast-paced, but comfortable, because you know that you're always going to have the support you need."
When a code is called at Memorial, so many people show up that resident doctors are often asked to step out of the room so that staff have room to work, Horton said. That atmosphere earned the hospital the 48th slot on Fortune magazine's 100 Top Places to Work in 2005.
Creating that environment was a deliberate effort on the part of CEO Robert A. Colvin and top administrators.
"I can remember years ago when my dad was a patient here," said Horton, a 14-year employee. "The hospital wasn't as nice visibly, or as clean, and the staff wasn't so friendly and willing to help."
In 1999, the administration looked at Memorial Healthcare's reputation, future staffing challenges and decided to make a change in the work culture.
"We went to the Great Place to Work Institute in California to see what made for a great work place," said Julie Olsen, the hospital's senior consultant for organizational effectiveness. "We learned that it had to be a place where people trust the people they work for, take pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with."
Leaders established Vision 2010 with those goals in mind and began looking at the kind of behaviors that would support them. They created a trust contract with employees, promising to show respect, deliver world class health care and take ownership of Memorial Healthcare.
Knowing that communication was vital to success, they explored ways of getting the word out.
"We met with every department to explain the vision and ask them what would keep us from putting it in place," Olsen said. "Colvin attended every one of those meetings. He listened to concerns, and what could be changed immediately, like a bulletin board to post information, was done."
The hospital also uses a biweekly newsletter, quarterly town hall meetings and other ways to keep the doors of communication open.
"A representative from every department meets at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to discuss the flow of patients, surgery schedules and need for beds," Horton said. "You always feel free to let someone know if there's something you need. Knowing people in other departments increases cooperation and camaraderie."
Staff, and even patients, can nominate members to the annual Key 100, a group of frontline employees with leadership potential and a willingness to improve the hospital's environment. They meet with vice presidents quarterly, participate in group activities and learn leadership skills.
"That group gets to know the organization at a higher level and start building relationships throughout the hospital. About 20 percent of them are promoted into management positions each year," Olsen said.
Thanks to the Vision 2010 goals, the hospital has created a physician's leadership academy, a career center and a fitness center for employees. Community involvement has grown significantly with staffers participating in walks, blood drives and health fairs.
There are nursing scholarships and reimbursement for education. "I'm getting my master's degree and the hospital is paying for it. It doesn't get any better than that," Horton said.
"During Hospital Week, we celebrate how we've met our goals for the previous year and set new ones," Olsen said. "We have recess in the cafeteria with bedpan and tricycle races, karaoke, basketball shoots - it's a blast."
Is the improved culture having the desired results?
"Yes, we're seeing decreased turnover, increased team member morale and our reputation in the community is growing in positive ways," Olsen said. "People are proud to work here."