Peterson Health, Kerr County’s largest employer for over seven decades, has been named one of the nation’s “Best Places to Work” by Modern Healthcare. On Monday, May 17th, Peterson Health employees gathered in the lobby of Peterson Regional Medical Center for the surprise announcement by CEO and President Cory Edmondson and Chief Human Resources Officer Denton Gruzensky.
Peterson Health administrators were notified last week during National Hospital Week that Peterson Health was selected for this elite list but in keeping with the noted embargo, could not publicly announce until Monday. Shares Edmondson, “What a great way to end a full week of celebrating our amazing organization and our coveted roles as healthcare providers. We’ve take our mission, vision, and values seriously and they serve as our calling, but along the way at all times, we have fun! This is the perfect grand finale to our momentous week of announcements. This is a significant recognition that only heightens our already elevated organization’s pride.”
An already award-winning hospital for patient experience, safety, quality, and financial strength, Peterson Health applied for the elite workplace designation in February, completing an arduous application, followed in March by an anonymous employee engagement survey.
CHRO Denton Gruzensky explains the award process, “To qualify, our Human Resources department had to complete a 17-page Employee Questionnaire providing answers to questions related to the following:
- Hiring and Employment Practices
- Pay and Benefits
- Work Life Balance and Wellness Initiatives
- Training and Career Development
- Corporate Culture and Communications, and a new section,
- COVID-19 Questions
If those responses met the qualifications, the next round of the application required an employee survey. Employees selected for the survey were selected randomly and a certain response rate was required to move to the final stage, which Peterson accomplished.”
Edmondson states, “The answers our team gave in the survey must have been very positive to rank us above others who qualified as well. There is no doubt in my mind our team and culture at Peterson is next to none. I’m proud to work for our team at Peterson.”
Peterson Health administrators surprised employees with the news of the “Best Place to Work” win in a spontaneous celebration in the hospital lobby which was met with cheers and music and dancing in the lobby.
Peterson Health is one of only 150 U.S. healthcare organizations or businesses to receive this award.
“One year into the pandemic, we’ve seen the industry transform to meet the needs of its patients and employees,” said Aurora Aguilar, Modern Healthcare’s editor. “Time and time again, the most resilient and successful organizations show that empathy towards their staff, clear vision and compassion towards the patient buoys teams and sets them up for success. We congratulate the Best Places to Work in Healthcare for eliciting loyalty from their workforce and communities during harrowing times.”
Peterson Health will find out their ranking on the Best Places list and be celebrated at the 2021 Best Places to Work in Healthcare awards gala taking place on September 16th at a ceremony in Chicago. For more information or questions on the 2021 Best Places to Work in Healthcare recognition program or awards gala, please contact: Jodi Sniegocki Kerhulas, Director, Education and Events, at jsniegocki@modernhealthcare.com or call 312.649.5459.
For more information on career opportunities at Peterson Health, contact Tori Preece, Peterson Health Recruiter at 830.258.7375 or visit our Careers Portal.
