YSC provides catered lunches, big-screen televisions in the break room, and free food and drinks available throughout the day. This comes on top of annual bonuses, merit raises and special bonuses. By running the ASC and providing care with a “family” philosophy, staff members and patients are the beneficiaries.
“The attitude of YSC’s management regarding family is a healthy complement to our culture,” says Rob Gagnon, executive director. “When staff needs to take time off to go to a family event, we make every effort to accommodate. Other events come up which sometimes require staff take time off and most of the time other staff will help cover each other. The flexibility allows staff to balance their personal and professional lives. This quality makes working for YSC more than just a job.”
YSC opened in Nov. 2002 with four operating rooms and two procedure rooms. It now runs six operating rooms and one procedure room following renovations. There are 31 physician owners and 85 users performing 7,500 procedures annually in orthopedics, ENT, pain management, plastic surgery, general surgery, podiatry and oral surgery. St. Vincent Healthcare is a 50 percent partner in the ASC.
The center works hard to take care of its employees. In addition to the many perks already described, YSC strives to make its compensation package “par none,” says Mr. Gagnon.
“We have competitive salaries which allow the YSC to compete with our neighboring hospitals so we can attract top talent,” he says. “Our benefits for health and dental are under a partially self-insured plan; therefore, we have designed our plan to cater to the employee and dependents with a very affordable coverage plan.”
The employees’ happiness with their work translates to the patients they serve. Patient satisfaction surveys, which come back at a 99 percent satisfaction rate, frequently include the naming of individual members of the ASC’s staff who made the experience easier and more comfortable. Comments include, “They went above and beyond to make us comfortable;” “They eased my daughter’s fears;” and, “They made me feel like I was their only patient.”
Holly Adams, YSC’s director of nursing, says these comments only begin to tell the YSC story.
“Our staff does this on a daily basis,” she says. “They do it because they love their job and YSC makes a daily commitment to provide them with the best working environment possible. YSC acknowledges that schedules might need coverage due to someone being sick so incentives help pay for daycare for someone who comes in who doesn’t usually work that day. We also have incentives for those who will be on call.”
The center rewards staff for their excellent work and helping to keep YSC running efficiently and profitably. Staff members have received special bonuses at the time of their evaluations along with merit increases up to 5 percent, says Mr. Gagnon.
“The staff knows they are rewarded for great work,” he says. “YSC has been able to give end-of-the-year bonuses to all staff since 2002. The 2007 bonus was 5 percent of their salary.”
Learn more about Yellowstone Surgery Center .
