HCA Virginia Health System - Central Virginia Market

HCA Virginia Health System is committed to meeting the needs of our employees and has taken extra measures during 2008 to address elevated financial concerns that have arisen due to the national economy.

From addressing the area’s increased gas prices to concerns that stock market drops would hurt their 401(k) balances, we took action to help alleviate some of the stress our employees were feeling.

To assist employees with the challenge of raising gas prices, we hosted a transportation fair.  The goal of the transportation fair was to share commuter options with our employees.  Employees had an opportunity to learn about transportation options through a new partnership with RideFinders, a division of GRTC (Greater Richmond Transit Company) Transit System. 

Beyond the transportation fairs and providing commuting alternatives, each of the facilities looked for ways to assist employees with raising gas prices.  An article entitled “Driving Tips to Use Less Gas,” was published in employee newsletters. Gas cards were distributed for recognition to employees throughout the year.  We also implemented an attendance incentive program where all employees with perfect attendance for an entire quarter received a $25 gas card.  All the quarterly winners were placed in a drawing for a grand prize of a $500 gift card. 

To better equip our employees on financial matters, we offered free on-site to help employees and their family members to help them better understand their benefits and make informed real-life decisions.  Some of the topics included:  choosing a financial professional in changing times; managing and organizing your finances; managing your investments in changing times; and smart strategies for your 401(k). The sessions are not only interactive, they also allow for some employees to receive continuing education units.  Employees have shared that the courses equipped them with the knowledge, skills, and ability to make more informed financial decisions during these troubling times.

Being an organization of caregivers, our employees look for opportunities to help. Given the challenging times, 2008 was not an exception.  In May, endoscopy technician, Margaret Mitchell, was selected to join other HCA employees from around the country as a member of the volunteer team to build two homes in five days in New Orleans.  HCA supported this event by paying all expenses and time while in New Orleans. Our support of Habitat for Humanity was extended when we sponsored a project in our own community of Richmond, Virginia.  Throughout the month of August, employee volunteers and their family members worked on a local home. Each day, transportation to the build site and lunch was provided for the volunteers. 

The economy has taken its toll on all business sectors and healthcare is no exception.  We are proud to be able to continue our many programs and benefits that support our employees in their work and home endeavors.  We have been fortunate in that we have maintained our 100% match on our 401(k) plan, and our incentive pay for the various scheduling options.  We continued our aggressive support of education through tuition and certification reimbursement programs and expanded leadership development initiatives for managers. While we are proud that our fundamental programs are still making an impact on the life of our employees, we are also very proud of the agility our hospitals have to help ease the day-to-day stresses of our employees.

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