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Photo by Shannon Diecidue
Radiologic technologist Joey Roby checks on patient Jennifer Bingham before her CT scan. Roby has been an employee at Slidell Memorial Hospital for 30 years.
T W O - T I M E H O N O R E E
Slidell Memorial Hospital
Brenda Carter, an emergency room technician
at Slidell Memorial Hospital, was going
through a nightmarish time in her life. First, her
brother died. Then her son was killed two weeks
later. In the most trying time of her life, Carter
was amazed at how her bosses and co-workers
at Slidell Memorial rallied around her.
“You would have thought I was in my own
neighborhood,” Carter said.
The neighborhood analogy serves as a
microcosm of the hospital as a whole. Now in
its 50th year, Slidell Memorial prides itself on
being a community hospital above all else.
“The employees here are committed to the
concept of a community hospital,” CEO Bob
Hawley said.
Julia Thomas, director of rehabilitation, said
the most rewarding part of her job is to live and
work in the same community, which allows her
to the see tangible benefits of her efforts. She
treated a patient with Guillain-Barre syndrome,
a rare viral disease that causes paralysis.
Once the paralysis wears off, the patient
must undergo a long, arduous rehabilitation.
One day, Thomas ran into the patient at a grocery
store and was able to see that patient
walking and functioning again.
“(The feeling) is better than a paycheck,”
Thomas said. “You made that person’s life productive
again.”
As part of its drive to serve the community,
Slidell Memorial administrators conduct extensive
surveys to make sure patients are happy
with the care they receive. Hawley said the
hospital finished in the 98th percentile in customer
satisfaction based on a series of surveys
that covered about 1,800 hospitals nationwide.
And the hospital makes sure that if customers
are happy, then employees are happy,
too, Thomas said. All employees receive a
bonus if the customer satisfaction surveys hit a
certain number.
“It’s putting your money where your mouth
is,” Thomas said. “If we hit our target, everyone
benefits financially. Everyone gets the
same bonus, regardless of who you are.”
The hospital also gives employees incentives
to stay healthy, such as reimbursements
Nature of business: hospital
Where based: Slidell
Employees: 759
Average starting salary: $28,912
Median salary: $50,398 for staff, $326,664 for physicians
Average employment time: seven years
Benefits: health care with 75 percent coverage, dental, vision,
prescriptions, 401(k) with 4 percent match, paid maternity
leave, continuing education program, relocation assistance,
telecommuting, flexible hours, job sharing, employee recognition
program, subsidized meals
Wait time for benefits: one month after hire
Paid days off: 24
Web site: www.slidellmemorial.org
for health club memberships.
The hospital promotes from within and
enables employees to transfer from one department
to another if they want a change of pace.
Carter has worked in several different positions
at Slidell Memorial.
“It’s an ongoing learning experience,” Carter
said. “If you feel burned out on a job, you can
take classes to learn another job within the
hospital.”
The hospital’s belief is that healthy and
happy employees will better serve the community.
“We’re not in this business to make a profit,”
Hawley said. “We’re here to provide a
service to the community, and we do a fantastic
job of that.”•
— Fritz Esker
December 14, 2009 41