National Association for Female Executives names VCU Health System a top nonprofit

By Chris Landrum
VCU Communications and Public Relations

The Virginia Commonwealth University Health System has been named one of five top nonprofits in the country by the National Association for Female Executives, marking the third time it has been recognized for this honor.

NAFE's annual Top Companies for Female Executives initiative names those at the forefront of diversifying the gender of boardrooms across the country, and honors five nonprofit organizations as offering excellent work environments for women, including the VCU Health System.

In naming the top companies, NAFE considers the number of women in each company overall, the number in senior management and the number on its board of directors. It also looks at how the companies demonstrate progressive ways to nurture women's advancement to influential positions.

"This award and the others which we have been so fortunate to receive lately reinforces that we are viewed as an organization that truly embraces our diverse work force," said Maria Curran, VCU Health System vice president for Human Resources and Family Care.

“It is really exciting to know that VCUHS continues to be recognized nationally and locally for our "best practices" in work force development,” said Curran. "[We strive] to provide a wide range of benefits and programs to help them professionally and personally.”

Curran added that every year the bar is raised in terms of how employers are responding to their employees, allowing them to excel in their professions with benefits and programs that support their balance between work and life.

The VCU Health System also was recently recognized as one of Nursing Professionals Top 100 Hospitals to Work for.

The VCUHS has more than 7,000 employees and offers more than 400 programs, policies and benefits focused on work-life issues.