How Providence Health Care Targets 3 Key Areas to Gain and Retain Staff

The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods have been a foundational structure of the Terre Haute community since 1840.

Among other ministries, the Sisters created healthcare-as-a-service for their own community before opening their doors to the greater population of Terra Haute as Providence Health Care. 

Over the course of nearly two centuries, Providence has continued to fulfill their mission of delivering unparalleled care, a realization underscored by their 5-Star Quality Rating from CMS. 

In recent years, however, that rating became more challenging to maintain as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted not only care delivery, but also staffing availability.

With recruitment and retention numbers falling, Providence recalibrated their approach to team building, team growing, and team retention.

To learn more about their strategies in practice, I sat down with Jessica Zook, Director of Health Information.

How to Build Your Team

From the moment a new hire steps foot on the grounds of Providence Health Care, they are immediately embraced as family.

This is achieved through a unique orientation program that focuses on the person, rather than the hiring process.

“We really focus on beyond the paperworking,” explained Zook. “We make them feel like it’s an experience to be with us.”

And while orientation offers an immediate sense of community, Providence is committed to nurturing that community through teaching their staff skills necessary for success.

Outside of their own walls, Providence maintains active community engagement with students, investing in their studies and offering clinical hours.

“CMAs at high schools and local colleges want to join a community focused on education. We offer them that,” said Zook. “And we ensure they feel like family as soon as they walk in the door.”

This emphasis on community allows Providence to grow their team organically, ensuring that each member feels supported and strengthened by their engagement.  

How to Keep Your Team

No stranger to the adage “Grass is greenest where it’s watered,” Zook takes ongoing, proactive steps to ensure that employees feel appreciated and supported.

Initiatives that underline Providence’s commitment to their staff include:

• Employee spotlight series
• VIP raise program
• Daily meal tickets
• Scholarship opportunities
• Celebration of personal achievements
• Family picnics and activities

For Providence, this investment in staff ripples far beyond the individual. When staff are happy, that contentment impacts residents, as well.

For Zook, a one percent increase in employee morale results in a 10 percent increase in employee satisfaction, an increase Providence is always striving for.

How to Support Your Team

Providence Health Care is committed to empowering their staff, a goal that can only be achieved through listening to their staff.

With an ear toward feedback, Providence implemented technology solutions that empower staff to deliver better care through better processes.

Secure Messaging

It’s no secret that communication takes time.

And when you’re a provider, time is the one thing you don’t have.

To lessen the communicative burden on staff, Providence employs secure messaging for both the clinical and therapy teams, ensuring collaboration and lessening frustrations.

Automated Care Messaging

And while secure messaging supports internal communication, PointClickCare’s Automated Care Messaging solution allows Providence to stay compliant with Indiana’s COVID-19 reporting protocols, enabling the organization to send automated messages to contacts regarding COVID status within the building.

In tandem, these solutions dramatically reduce the time clinicians spent on communication, enabling them to focus on the individuals beside them, rather than the paperwork in front of them.

At Providence, when the capabilities of tech and talent converge, the result is a unified community committed to delivering superior care today and tomorrow.