Employer of Choice

Throughout 2014, YNHH's ongoing commitment to being an Employer of Choice was evidenced by additional investments in programs supporting an employee-friendly work environment, recognizing and rewarding employee accomplishments and providing opportunities for career development and advancement for a workforce now numbering over 12,000.

In 2014, 93 percent of employees completed the Employee Engagement Survey scoring an engagement index of 5.07 out of a maximum of 6.0, which exceeds the national survey benchmark. To enhance manager-employee communications, the Hospital created a management advisory council and a new manager Intranet portal.

To help employees better understand and work with diverse patients and staff, Yale New Haven Health System launched a System-wide diversity and inclusion initiative last year. YNHH’s Diversity and Inclusion team has generated several subcommittees to explore avenues of potential change and increased understanding. A Patient Diversity team is reviewing patient data related to diversity and readmissions. An Employer of Choice team has begun an assessment of employee diversity issues. A Staff Education team, working with other System teams, previewed several educational programs and selected Korn Ferry’s “Appreciating Differences eLearning” program to be piloted at Greenwich and Bridgeport hospitals. A Supplier Diversity team has been identifying minority and women business enterprises and providing them opportunities to bid on contracts. Last year YNHHS spent over $23 million with more than 300 minority and women-owned companies.

Cultural integration progressed, in parallel with the continued clinical integration between the York Street and Saint Raphael campuses. Supporting these efforts were increased opportunities to create a new nursing shared governance structure, expansion of off-shift executive coverage, the merger of both Volunteer Services departments and Auxiliaries, expansion of employee engagement and recognition programs and standardization of policies and procedures to create a single standard of care across both campuses.

YNHH inducted 154 employees, the largest class ever, into the Quarter Century Club at the annual milestone recognition dinner recognizing employees who reached 25 years of service. More than 2,800 volunteers donated 232,659 hours of service.

Several organizations underscored YNHH’s status as an employer of choice with awards, including Becker’s Hospital Review, the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce and the American Heart Association for making the health and wellness of employees a priority. In addition, Best Workplaces for Commuters selected YNHH as a Gold Medal winner, and Practice Greenhealth recognized YNHH with two awards for environmental excellence.

YNHHS compensation and benefits programs that included tuition reimbursement options and adoption assistance demonstrated the System’s ongoing commitment to recruitment and retention of employees. More than 7,000 YHHH employees participated in the Know Your Numbers Plus employee wellness program, which helped employees heighten health awareness, improve health and save money on health insurance premiums.