.
At Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Hamilton, Employee Satisfaction Forms the Foundation for Growth
Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) University Hospital at Hamilton Township has experienced tremendous growth. Its in-patient admissions are up by 38 percent in the last two years, emergency department usage is growing dramatically, and its market share is approaching 40 percent. Christy Stephenson, RWJ-Hamilton's CEO, attributes the growth to patient satisfaction. The hospital's ratings-including those in the prestigious Press, Ganey Patient Satisfaction Results and independent Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations Survey-are among the highest in the nation. And as she explained during an NJBIA Site Visit with Assemblyman Gary Guear, patient satisfaction is a direct result of improved employee satisfaction among RWJ-Hamilton's workforce.
In other words, the hospital's growth can be traced directly back to RWJ-Hamilton's commitment to employee satisfaction. With a severe nursing shortage impacting everyone, a high level of employee satisfaction gives RWJ a key competitive edge.
"I think employee satisfaction is important for anyone, but for us it was a matter of survival," Stephenson said. "We knew we had to be a leader in this area. If we weren't, then that increase in volume and those patient satisfaction ratings would not have happened."
In 1999, RWJ-Hamilton established its Employee Satisfaction Committee. Employees representing all 1,500 workers looked for ways to improve services. In its first year of existence, the committee recommendations created a fitness program, healthier cafeteria menus, increased educational opportunities, improvements to pension and insurance benefits, and greater flexibility in vacation and sick-time policies.
The hospital's commitment to employee satisfaction earned it several awards, including a 2000 Award for Excellence from NJBIA.
During the recent Site Visit, Stephenson, Richard Lovering, RWJ-Hamilton's vice president for human resources and health promotion, and Diane Grillo, assistant vice president for health promotion, shared their insights on the hospital's growth with Assemblyman Guear. NJBIA's Site Visit program is designed to give legislators a better understanding of businesses in their districts and the issues they face.
And RWJ-Hamilton is facing its share of tough issues. Like healthcare facilities throughout the state, RWJ-Hamilton is struggling with a severe shortage of nurses. While the hospital recently filled some of its vacancies, Stephenson said not enough qualified nurses were "in the pipeline" to meet RWJ's growing demand.
Aware of the problem, Guear said he was sponsoring legislation aimed at encouraging more students to pursue nursing careers in New Jersey. His bill, A-202 (Guear, Greenstein), would create the $5 million Excellence in Nursing Scholarship Program, which would make scholarships of up to $10,000 per year available to nursing students who in turn would work for in New Jersey's healthcare industry for one year for each year they receive grants.
Stephenson also said she is worried that the state's growing malpractice insurance crisis could make for a healthcare access problem as OB/GYN physicians are leaving the OB business to escape skyrocketing premiums.
Despite these challenges, RWJ-Hamilton continues to innovate and expand. Located on a 67-acre campus in Mercer County, RWJ opened a new emergency department and ICU in 2001. A state-of-the-art cancer center opened last fall, providing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. To ease the discomfort associated with such treatment, the hospital has partnered with the "Grounds For Sculpture" and created the "Grounds For Healing." The center even set up arbors where on warm, pleasant days, patients can receive their treatments outdoors.
More plans are in the works. But even as the hospital grows, everything still comes back to satisfaction-for patients and for employees.
Make Your Voice Heard with NJBIA's Site Visit Program
Want to make your voice heard? Need to talk about a specific issue impacting your business? Maybe you just have a great story to tell or product to show. There are a lot of reasons to participate in NJBIA's Site Visit program.NJBIA site tours get your state representatives into your business where you can discuss your concerns and highlight your important role as a job provider. The visits allow you and your company to demonstrate how a proposed new law or regulation would affect the operation of your business.
It takes no more than 90 minutes, beginning with an introduction to your company and concluding with a tour of your facility. You decide what you want to say and what you want to show the visitors. We will assist you every step of the way, including contacting the legislators, the media and any other attendees you may wish to invite.
This brief investment of time goes a long way in helping you establish a lasting working relationship with your state and local representatives. These relationships are enormously valuable when the business community needs to make its voice heard on legislation affecting New Jersey employers.
Sign up today by contacting Libby Vinson at ext. 201 or lvinson@njbia.org.
Spring 2003
Briefing Breakfasts
Continuing its annual tradition, NJBIA will hold its four remaining Legislative Briefing Breakfasts in April and May. These breakfasts give employers the chance to meet with legislators in their districts and learn about pending and proposed legislation affecting their businesses. Each breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. with registration and end promptly at 9:30 a.m. Don't miss this excellent opportunity to network with colleagues and legislators in an informal atmosphere. The cost is $39 per person per breakfast for NJBIA members and $49 for nonmembers. Register early by calling Stacy Wichner at 609-393-7707, ext. 213. Sponsorships are still available; please contact Sherry Esteves at ext. 219.- Wednesday, April 9
Sheraton Newark Airport, Newark - Tuesday, April 15
Forsgate Country Club, Monroe Township - Wednesday, April 30
Holiday Inn, Tinton Falls - Friday, May 2
Parsippany Hilton, Parsippany
Wednesday, April 23
Controlling Workers' Compensation Costs: Employer Safety Strategies that Work
New Jersey employers and workers' compensation experts will discuss how improved safety programs can result in controlling workers' compensation insurance costs. This half-day seminar will be held at the Sheraton at Woodbridge Place, Iselin. The cost is $105 per person for NJBIA members and $139 for nonmembers. For more information, call Lisa Figatner at 609-393-7707, ext. 239.
Wednesday, April 16
Building the Schools: NJ's $12B Construction Program is Full Steam Ahead
Governor McGreevey has made jump-starting the $12 billion school construction program a top priority by forming a new agency to take charge of the program-The New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation. Get up-to-the-minute information on the program from the new top administrators, meet project managers responsible for construction, and find out where the work is. This event will be held at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Cost to attend is $99 per person for NJBIA members and $139 for nonmembers. Preregistration is a must! For more information, call Sherry Esteves at 609-393-7707, ext. 219.
Tuesday, May 13
NEW JOBS South Jersey Legislative Reception
Sponsored by NEW JOBS, the New Jersey business community's largest political action committee, and the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, this event is South Jersey's regional fund-raiser for probusiness candidates for the state Legislature. Come and support candidates who advocate policies that will encourage job creation and economic growth! The reception will be held at The Mansion on Main Street in Voorhees from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Cost is $185 per person. To register, call Sherry Esteves at 609-393-7707, ext. 219. For information about NEW JOBS, call Executive Director Jim Sinclair at ext. 236 or jsinclair@njbia.org.
Friday, May 16 Deadline!
Awards for Excellence-Call for Nominations!
Are you proud of your track record in rewarding your employees, protecting the environment, serving your community or creating jobs? Then nominate yourself or another NJBIA member company for an NJBIA Awards for Excellence. This year's nominations must be returned to NJBIA by May 16. To get your nomination form, contact Lisa Figatner at 609-393-7707, ext. 239, or lfigatner@njbia.org.
Wednesday, May 21
Dismissing Employees Seminar
This seminar will take a comprehensive look at the court decisions and new laws on the dismissal and discipline of workers. Employers will be given practical information in laymen's terms from some of the best legal authorities in the state. The registration and continental breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Sheraton at Woodbridge Place, Iselin. Registration fees are $105 per person for NJBIA members and $139 for nonmembers. For more information, call Lisa Figatner at 609-393-7707, ext. 239.
Friday, May 30
Briefing Breakfast with EPA Chief Christie Whitman
How will the Bush Administration's environmental policy impact New Jersey employers? Find out at this important briefing breakfast with Christie Whitman, the US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Sheraton at Woodbridge Place, Iselin. The cost is $49 per person for NJBIA members and $89 for nonmembers. For more information, call Lisa Figatner at 609-393-7707, ext. 239. 400 behavioral disorders.
