Jeni Bell
Senior Editor, HFMA
A Colorado hospital is giving new meaning to the words “employee satisfaction” with a concierge program that provides services such as home repairs, babysitting referrals, grocery shopping, and pet walking.
Littleton Adventist Hospital in Littleton, Colo., implemented the program in November 2005 in an effort to increase employee satisfaction while enhancing its recruitment of talent for the hospital’s workforce. Today, nearly 50 employees a month participate in the program, and that number is growing.
“We view this as an investment in our people,” says Joseph Condon, director of human resources for Littleton Adventist Hospital in Littleton, Colo. “A lot of our associates work 12-hour shifts, and as a result, they face unique challenges in balancing the demands of work and home. This program eases the demands on our healthcare workers so that they are better able to focus on patients and not have to spend their lunch hours or time after work running errands.”
Littleton Adventist Hospital paid for the start-up costs of the program, which included space for concierge employees in an ancillary building across the street from the hospital and a contract of $115,000 a year with a professional concierge company. Employees pay for the cost of the services themselves, such as laundry services, house cleaning, and grocery delivery. So far, automotive services are the most popular, ranging from oil changes to car washes to tire swapping.
“I do rounds pretty regularly, and I enjoy hearing associates express their gratitude for implementing concierge services at the hospital,” Condon says.
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