Great Place to Work® and Fortune have honored Wellstar Health System, one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia, as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For®. This is Wellstar’s fourth time on this prestigious list of the best companies to work for in the nation. Wellstar is the only Georgia-based healthcare company included in the 2021 ranking; only two other companies headquartered in Georgia were included in this year’s list.
“In a year of immeasurable challenges, our Wellstar team members and caregivers have remained focused on our mission to enhance the health and well-being of everyone we serve,” said Candice L. Saunders, president and CEO, Wellstar Health System. “Earning the 100 Best Companies to Work For award is a testament to their bravery and unwavering commitment to providing people-centric care for millions of Georgians.”
The Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® award is based on analysis of survey responses from more than half a million current employees across the U.S. In that survey, 79% of Wellstar’s employees said Wellstar is a great place to work. By comparison, the average percentage of employees in the U.S. who say their company is a great place to work is only 59%.
“Offering the resources, support, and workplace culture team members need to be their best benefits everyone and everything we do,” said David Jones, executive vice president and chief human resources officer, Wellstar Health System. “We care for our employees so they can care for our community. We are grateful for the recognition from Fortune and, especially, for the all the people who make Wellstar a great place to work.”
Survey methodology
To determine the 2021 list, Great Place to Work® surveyed over half a million employees on issues including how trustworthy, caring, and fair the company is in times of crises; employees’ physical, emotional and financial health; and the company’s broader community impact. Particular attention was paid to how employees’ experiences varied depending on their job role, gender, race/ethnicity, payroll status, and other characteristics to ensure that the company is creating a great workplace for all.
“Congratulations to the 100 Best Companies to Work For. These companies stood out for heroic efforts to care for their employees, their customers, and our society in a difficult year,” said Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work.
This year, 60% of each company’s score is based on confidential employee feedback. The remaining 40% is based on the programs each company said they created to support their people and communities in response to the pandemic. This methodology represents a change in response to the unique circumstances of 2020. In pre-pandemic times, 75% of each company’s score is based on confidential employee feedback and 25% is based on our assessment of employees’ daily experiences of the company’s values, people’s ability to contribute new ideas, and their leaders’ effectiveness. Great Place to Work will be returning to this methodology next year.
Nationally ranked and recognized for workplace culture and excellence
Wellstar was also named to the 2021 Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care & Biopharma™ list, ranking No. 9 in the “large healthcare” category. The health system has also consistently ranked in Great Place to Work® 100 Best Workplaces for Diversity™ – coming in at No. 31 in 2019 – and Best Workplaces for Women, named among the top five companies from across the nation for hiring women.
The company has also garnered national recognition and accolades for performance excellence, diversity and inclusion, quality and safety, and leadership. Some highlights include Working Mother 2020 100 Best Companies; Working Mother 2020 Best Companies for Dads; the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption 2020 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces; and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award – the nation’s highest recognition for performance excellence – which was awarded to Wellstar Paulding Hospital in 2020.
Wellstar is committed to developing people-centric programs, benefits, and culture that foster an inclusive, team-based workplace. Attracting, retaining, and growing world-class talent is a priority for the health system, which serves millions of Georgians each year with more than 24,000 dedicated team members. Some of the ways that Wellstar supports team members include:
- Four weeks of paid parental leave for mothers and fathers, including for adoption
- Adoption assistance
- Extended illness bank
- Scholarships
- Onsite wellness programs, fitness centers, and health coaching
- Free concierge service
- Childcare, elder care, and back-up care options, both on-site and in-home
The company also recently rolled out a new, extensive employee rewards program, called “MyCare Rewards,” representing an $18 million investment in the health and well-being of the more than 24,000 team members across the system throughout the state of Georgia. The program offers the choice of either two days of paid time off or a $500 MyCare Rewards grant. With a focus on the mental and physical well-being of all team members, Wellstar is also providing free access to Headspace, a mobile mindfulness and medication app to help with stress, anxiety, sleep, focus, fitness and more and free access to Wellstar fitness centers for a year.
Later this year, Wellstar team members will be offered additional benefits including extra, dedicated on-site employee assistance program (EAP) support for a year and access to wellness rooms to use before, during, and after their shifts. Depending on square footage and location, rooms may have massage/zero gravity chairs, aromatherapy, meditation spaces, space for education/wellness sessions, and a library of resources to support mindfulness, stress relief, and overall well-being.
ABOUT THE FORTUNE 100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR®
Great Place to Work® selected the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® by gathering and analyzing confidential survey responses from more than half a million employees at Great Place to Work-Certified™ organizations across the country. Company rankings are derived from over 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index™ survey. Read the full methodology. To get on this list next year, start here.
ABOUT GREAT PLACE TO WORK®
Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything they do is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a Great Place to Work For All™. Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM
At Wellstar, people are at the center of everything we do. By listening actively to what people want, need and expect from their healthcare, Wellstar is able to provide “More than Healthcare. PeopleCare.” — at every age and stage. Nationally ranked and locally recognized for our personal, high-quality care, inclusive culture, and exceptional doctors and team members, Wellstar provides access to compassionate, high-quality care through our: 11 hospitals; 300+ medical office locations; 9 cancer centers; 74 rehabilitation centers; 3 hospice facilities; 1 retirement village; 34 imaging centers; 17 urgent care locations; and 5 health parks. As one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia, Wellstar is growing our services, footprint, capabilities, and ability to meet evolving patient needs. Our passion for people extends into the communities we serve. As a not-for-profit health system, we thoughtfully reinvest annually in prevention and wellness programs, as well as charity care for eligible patients. Our Wellstar Foundation also supports our mission to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve with funding for equipment, services, and programs that provide more than healthcare. To learn more about how Wellstar is always listening, learning, and tailoring care to meet patients’ individual needs, visit Wellstar.org.
