Why St. Joseph’s Health?

I have been working for St. Joseph’s for 40 years and it is the best place in the world to work. The staff here are exceptional, extraordinary and excellent. My co-workers are phenomenal employees who put every effort out to ensure that we all work together as a Team. I’ve found over the years that there is no “I” here. We all understand that together we achieve more. We are St. Joseph’s. Recognition of the work we do on a daily basis helps us strive to go above and beyond and love the work we do. As much as possible, St. Joseph’s strives to accommodate the needs of the employees. I do not feel that there are any challenges for me working at St. Joseph’s that the God I serve and I cannot fix. God gives me wisdom, knowledge and understanding and I feel that my greatest reward is being able to give back to the staff here at St. Joseph’s the community and the patients who come here for care. Mary Medlock, Gift Shop Manager

The expectation for any administration to recognize an excellent employee is taken a step further at St. Joseph’s. The practice of giving a N.I.F.T.Y. (nice individual friendly thank you) award to an employee from any employee, regardless of role, acknowledges the recognition of all employees. A N.I.F.T.Y. award recipient would be recognized again as the person receives a small prize, has their name posted on a bulletin board, updated monthly and has the certificate placed in their personnel file. Our mission, vision and core values of dignity, justice, stewardship and excellence provide guidance to what is the expectation. The common visible posting of our core values throughout the organization serve as a constant reminder of the culture of St. Joseph’s. The uniqueness of our Center for Education provides all employees with the necessary particular level of learning ideal for the diverse job roles. Training for new programs and software are completed in phases as not to overwhelm the employee. Support is available 24 hours from trained champions on nearly all areas throughout the organization to computerized icons with available resources just a click away. The current changes in healthcare shadows uncertainty for most healthcare workers everywhere who may consequently be challenged and ask, “What if the hospital closes and I lose my job?” Remaining attuned to these changes is what the administration at St. Joseph’s has exemplified for the last 18 years since I began working here. Indeed, change would be inevitable and the reward for working at St. Joseph’s is as the organization moves forward, so does the employee. I am never stagnant and always up to the challenge, with St. Joseph’s at my side I can achieve my professional goals. Often co-workers exercise reliability during times of urgency but at St. Joseph’s, reliability of co-workers is seen on a day to day routine basis. Getting the job done correctly and efficiently the first time would be a goal for countless of our co-workers. The collaboration and multidisciplinary approach amid co-workers validates our exceptionality. Louis Cortes, Coordinator Trauma Injury Prevention

Our values of Dignity, Justice, Excellence and Stewardship are more than just nouns, they are verbs here. Each value is put into practice in everything that we do and we take pride in having a culture that we refer to as one of Embracing Excellence. At St. Joseph’s, whether it be that you’re looking to advance in your career and earn a degree or improve skills in areas such as computers, customer service and more, St. Joseph’s offers the support and training to assist you in reaching your goals. As an employee for the past nine years, I can honestly say that from the moment I began working here, it felt like I became a member of the St. Joe’s family rather than just an employee. We truly care about one another. The rewards of working for St. Joseph’s far exceed any challenges that you may come across. St. Joseph’s does a wonderful job of not only recognizing an employee’s years of service, dedication and hard work at the annual Employee Service Awards banquet but also on a daily basis by affording us many opportunities and avenues, as employees, to recognize and appreciate each other’s contributions. Two most frequently used and well known ways for someone to show their appreciation or to recognize an exceptional employee, is through the N.I.F.T.Y program or the monthly AWL STAR or the Employee of The Year. Christine Miller, Manager Volunteers and Visitors

I am always given the training and tools I need to get the job done. New systems are not put in place until everyone receives extensive training. The resources here at St. Joseph’s are amazing. They set the standard for other healthcare institutions to follow. The hospital here at Wayne has evolved and grown over the years, which has kept my position and day to day activities challenging. You are never bored. There is always something new to be learned or done. All the people I work with here at Wayne have a positive attitude and make coming to work a pleasant experience. Everyone here gives 100% of themselves to their patients. Management is a visible presence and easily approachable. St. Joseph’s Health truly values their employees. Individuals are recognized annually for years of service. In addition, we have barbecues and ice cream socials. We are provided with as choice of superb benefits and generous BTB time. I would recommend St. Joseph’s to anyone who wants to work for a great hospital with outstanding core values. St. Joseph’s has never lost sight of its original mission. Monica Maguire, Coordinator Employee Health

As a new grad, I started my career at St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center as a Medical/Surgical nurse and then transferred to the O.R. at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center two years later. Both facilities offered extensive 6 month orientations as well as guidance and preceptorship from experienced co-workers. The educational department as both facilities is exceptional and is a constant resource, no matter what stage in my career. St. Joseph’s challenges all nurses to advance their degrees and to become certified in their specialty. The hospital offers tuition reimbursement and a yearly bonus for all certified nurses. The RN Star program is a clinical ladder program where nurses conduct projects in their departments that serve the organization and in return receive a monetary reward. The best thing about working at St. Joe’s is the tight knit relationships I have made with my co-workers. My co-workers made my transition from nursing school to a demanding med/surg floor then to a busy O.R. almost flawless. They were consistently friendly, informative and supportive. Many of my co-workers turned into friends and extended family who I spend time with outside of work. On the job, my co-workers and I work together as a unit and a team supporting each other and delivering excellent patient care to our patients. St. Joe’s takes real pride in recognizing the hard work of employees. Every month, one employee is recognized in the hospital newsletter as our “Awl Star”, each year one exceptional employee is recognized as the “Employee of the Year” and five nurses receive the “Nursing Excellence” award each year. Staff also takes advantage of the “NIFTY” program to give a fellow co-worker a NIFTY award for something exceptional they did. Nursing can often be physically and emotionally draining and sometimes leaves me wondering if I’m really making a difference in patients’ lives. St. Joe’s believes in dignity, justice, excellence and stewardship. Unlike many hospitals in the area, we focus on providing top-of-the-line care for the poor and underserved. These values and culture of caring keep me motivated and feeling professionally fulfilled. Jennifer Heinl, RN, Perioperative Services

My co-workers are always there to help when a situation arises. When employees do some good or go beyond the call of duty, to make residents or family members comfortable, St. Joseph’s always gives NIFTYs to the workers. We value the values and cultures of employees and patients. We support each other when there are new ideas and then we are given the training required so we can work better for the good of those people we care for. I always see that we do the best we can for everybody we come in contact with. We give each other that helping hand. The workers are recognized at several different ongoing programs and this year I was a nominee at the Employee of the Year celebration. Lorna Rouse, Certified Nursing Assistant, St. Joseph's Nursing Home