VCU Health System Named Greater Richmond Area Employer of Choice for Third Consecutive Year

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley
Division of University Relations

For the third year in a row, the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System has been named the Greater Richmond Area Employer of Choice. The VCU Health System also received the national Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. The award presentations were made Wednesday at the annual All Star Awards presented by the Richmond Human Resources Management Association and the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce.

The Employer of Choice award recognizes that the VCU Health System, as the region's largest employer with nearly 8,000 employees, embodies a set of principles that are honored, a culture that is well defined and most importantly, is characterized by satisfied employees. The award recognizes organizations that distinguish themselves as great employers.

The Alfred P. Sloan award is sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and was awarded to the VCU Health System for its creativity in addressing employee needs for work week flexibility which is critical to workforce effectiveness.

"Caring for half a million of the region's sickest patients each year is our responsibility and individualizing each patient's care to ensure the highest level of healthcare delivery is our mission," said Dr. Sheldon M. Retchin, VCU Health System CEO and vice president for VCU Health Sciences. "Similarly, caring for our 8,000 employees and their families has become one of our overriding tenets."

The VCU Health System continues to be honored nationally and locally as for workforce development initiatives, workplace flexibility and child and adult day care practices. The health system has been recognized as one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" by Working Mother magazine, "Companies that Care" Honor Roll and the National Association of Female Executives as a Top Company and a top five in the non-profit category. Richmond Magazine also has named the VCU Health System as one of the area's great places to work.

"We work hard to provide our employees with a full range of programs and benefits that help them balance their work and family lives and we listen to their specific needs when we design new programs," said Maria Curran, vice president, VCU Health System Human Resources. "A career in health care can be very demanding, so we make it a priority to take care of them because we know they can then take better care of our patients."

The VCU Health System promotes a culture of caring within the organization through efforts like a leave sharing program, tuition waivers for employees and their families and the Rainbow Society, an employee-sponsored program to assist co-workers in financial hardship. The health system provides innovative benefits such as adult day services, back-up sick child care and the "Caregivers of Children with Special Needs" program. The VCU Health System also provides internal and community education and professional development, as well as a full array of work-life balance and benefits programs. 

"Our workforce development strategy is a top priority that benefits our employees and allows us to maintain our position of preeminence in health care" said MCV Hospitals CEO John Duval. "I am proud that all of our workforce development programs make a notable difference in the lives of our employees and their families, the community and our patients."

 The award was presented at a ceremony Wednesday at the Richmond Convention Center.