“The list is extensive and growing,” says Francine Daley, RN, administrative director for AtlantiCare Surgery Center. “The employee’s suggestions and management follow-through are essential in making the surgery center a great place to work.”
AtlantiCare Surgery Center is a multi-specialty freestanding ASC that opened in 1997. It reports a current volume of approximately 12,000 cases, with GI, ophthalmology and pain management as its top three specialties. The surgery center is part of a large health system (AtlantiCare, with the surgery center falling under the AtlantiCare Health Services division) which partnered with physicians in 2000. There are currently 39 shareholders and about 100 physicians on the medical staff. Since its opening, the center has expanded once, growing from four operating rooms to five and from two procedure rooms to three.
By following a motto of “happy employees make happy patients,” the center is constantly striving to improve the well-being of its staff. There are quarterly incentive bonuses, holiday parties, birthday lunch celebrations, free bagels daily, summer evening boat cruises, gym memberships, Weight Watchers at Work financial support, summer lunch barbeques, 401k contribution and recently a 10th anniversary celebration that saw staff members receive fleece jackets with the center’s logo.
The most recent idea for how to recognize excellent work came directly from a staff suggestion. It follows the concept of “peer to peer” appreciation, says Ms. Daley.
“An employee can recognize a peer for going above and beyond during a day at work,” she says. “The staff member writes their co-worker a thank you letter and the reason they are being recognized along with a gift card provided by management. An employee recognition board hung in the lounge displays the letter of thanks. This is a great way to build camaraderie and moral.”
The patients are certainly a benefit of the staff’s happiness. The center scores near the top percentile for quality of care and was recognized this year by Professional Research Consultants (PRC), a marketing research organization that focuses on the healthcare industry, with a five-star award for excellence in “overall quality of care.”
Learn more about AtlantiCare Surgery Center.
