VCU Health System Named a 2007 Working Mother 100 Best Company By Working Mother Magazine

By Malorie Burkett

Video Clip: “A working environment that supports mothers.”

Working Mother magazine today named the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System one of the nation’s 100 best companies of 2007 for working mothers, marking the third time the health system has received the honor.

“This award means a great deal to us because we have put so much effort into workforce development, and it validates that we’re doing the right things — that we’re raising the bar in terms of providing a good balance for employees and their families,” said Maria Curran, vice-president of human resources for the VCU Health System.

According to the magazine, the VCU Health System is leading a significant and ongoing culture shift and is using company-wide benefits and programs to ensure the retention and advancement of working mothers. 

“The VCU Health System not only offers essential benefits like flextime, they go above and beyond with a range of best practices and policies to ease the difficulties for working parents and their families,” said Carol Evans, CEO and president, Working Mother Media.

The VCU Health System gained the recognition for several initiatives, including designing, building and opening the region’s first on-site adult care center for employee dependents, whether elderly or challenged by mental or physical disability.

The health system also continues to offer three, nationally accredited, on-site childcare centers that serve 320 children from 6 a.m. to midnight 365 days a year, making the VCU Health System the largest employer-sponsored infant childcare provider in a single location on the East coast.

“The working environment here supports mothers and this is a very important consideration when we’re looking for a job,” said Luciana Torres, Ph.D., a mother of twin daughters and a post-doctoral associate in VCU’s Department of Physiology and Biophysics. “The staff here is really willing to provide the kids with the best service.”

In addition, recent employee opinion surveys rank the health system’s prepaid tuition program for employees and their dependents as the No. 1 benefit. Curran says that about 800 staff members, or 10 percent of the health system’s workforce, take advantage of the benefits for themselves and their families. 

The magazine also acknowledges the VCU Health System’s flexibility and leave options, which include programs like the supplemental staffing pool – a plan that provides ultimate flexibility in self-scheduling.

In addition, the magazine recognizes the health system’s dedication to the advancement of women. Fifty percent of the health systems top executives are women, and as mandated by the CEO, board and search committees must have strong female representation.

In applying for the Working Mother 100 Best, the VCU Health System completed an extensive application of 575 questions about workforce, compensation, child-care and flexibility programs, leave policies and other topics.

The application also checked the usage, availability and tracking of programs, as well as the accountability of managers who oversee them. For this year’s 100 Best, particular weight was given to flexibility and family-friendly policies.  

The VCU Health System, which previously earned this recognition from Working Mother in 2004 and 2005, is the governing body for the hospitals and clinics of VCU as well as MCV Physicians and the Virginia Premier Medicaid HMO. The VCU Health System is designated a Magnet institution, the highest honor and level of recognition awarded for nursing excellence in national and international health care.

Founded in 1979, Working Mother magazine reaches nearly 3 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers. The complete list of the Working Mother100 Best Companies can be found at www.workingmother.com.