Southwest General Hospital Named to NorthCoast 99

MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, OH - Southwest General Hospital has once again been ranked as one of the 99 best places to work in Northeast Ohio by the NorthCoast 99.

This is the 13th time the hospital has received the designation.

According to the NorthCoast 99's website, applicants are evaluated based on responses to questions regarding policies and practices related to the attraction and retention of top performers, and also the responses of employees that complete surveys about their workplace, including a survey that measures the preferences of top performing people.

Specifically, these categories are weighted for businesses:

• Career Advancement & Development
• Challenging & Meaningful Work
• Compensation
• Leadership & Culture
• Organizational Support & Work/Life Benefits
• Talent Attraction & Retention

Southwest's Vice President of Human Resources Judy Murphy says that the hospital's employee development programs are a big reason the NorthCoast 99 has consistently ranked it as a great place to work. She noted that when nurses leave the hospital they frequently return because they didn't feel as comfortable at competing hospitals.

The hospital has a clinical ladder system that allows nurses to progress up the rungs of their career, while receiving training in new skill sets and different clinical areas. There is also a training program for managers that Murphy believes is very important.

"People tend to stay where they are because of their managers," she says. "We want to develop and retain managers to the best of our ability."

To do that, the hospital holds monthly communication meetings for managers. They want managers to be well informed and to communicate that information to their teams. They also hold quarterly in-house training sessions for managers.

Finally, Southwest offers leadership programs to front line employees. Even if those employees may not have an immediate need for the training, the hospital is eager to cultivate the next generation of talent.

The hospital is also very proud of its pay and benefits program, which they feel are competitive throughout the market.

Murphy says that all of these tactics are an effort to create an engaged workforce.

"If your employees are engaged, they'll serve your customer in a better way," she says. "We're a community hospital. We want to create a culture of family and bring the best care we can to our patients."

Image via Southwest General Hospitals