Please, Tell Us What You Think
The 2019 Employee Satisfaction surveys have gone out and I want to encourage everyone to take a few minutes to let leadership know how you feel about working at ARH and what you’d like us to work on in 2020. We can always do better and you, the employees, know better than anyone else which areas need attention.
We have been doing these surveys for a few years and I’ve been very pleased with the information we’ve been given. As I said after the first survey, I don’t want to just “do” the survey, but rather I want to do something with the information gained from the survey. Otherwise, the exercise is simply a waste of resources.
As a result of what you told us, we have implemented some great training programs on team building and improved communications. We have redoubled our efforts to hire more CNAs so more employees can regularly stay in their assigned location, as opposed to being called to help in other areas with less staffing.
When you told us you wanted additional opportunities to go back to school, we implemented the ARH Scholars program, awarding scholarships to help with some of the financial burden. We just closed on the Fall 2019 round of applications for the program and I’m pleased to announce we had more than 70 excellent applicants. I don’t envy the judges! More education means better patient care, along with higher salaries and a greater sense of accomplishment. We like being a part of that.
The other day, someone suggested employees might not be answering the survey with total honesty, because they might think we have some way to track specific comments. I want to emphasize that not only do we have an outside firm managing the information, the entire survey is completely confidential. The last thing I want is for someone’s thoughts and comments to be compromised. So, please, tell us exactly how you feel.
As President and CEO, I want to make ARH the first choice for employment for individuals in the communities we serve. We have a special relationship with these communities, and we cannot provide a superior patient experience unless our employees are engaged and challenged. I appreciate your feedback on how we can do a better job.
In addition to asking about your experience as an ARH employee, I hope everyone enjoyed the recent employee appreciation celebrations. These get-togethers were designed to let everyone know, whether you are the CCEO or the newest entry-level employee, it takes everyone to provide exceptional patient experiences. I hope to see your ARH-branded fleece jackets sported around town.
I love good barbecue and thought Big Blue Smokehouse did an amazing job providing delicious lunches for our 6,000 employees. We started with the Hazard System Center on October 7 and had our last Big Blue meal in Lexington on October 25. It was great fun and the leadership teams at each facility reported great turnouts and hungry employees.
So, thanks again for providing great information on previous Employee Engagement Surveys and I encourage everyone to fill out this year’s survey between now and November 15. With your help, we can make 2020 even better for ARH employees and the families and communities we serve!
Beginning next week, I will be writing a regular blog aimed at keeping ARH employees up-to-date on everything from high-level strategic plans to training programs aimed at new managers. Hopefully, there will be some humor along with the serious topics, because everyone needs a laugh now and then, especially when working in a high-stress environment like providing top-quality healthcare.
I appreciate your willingness to read my blog and hopefully I will be successful in providing you with the timely communication you said you needed! Here’s to Team ARH!
Joseph L. Grossman,
President & CEO, Appalachian Regional Healthcare
