Gallup-ing to greatness
BRIAN WALKER/Press Catrina McKee, a Kootenai Health pharmacy technician, prepares liquid medication for a patient on Tuesday. Kootenai Health has been named a Gallup Great Workplace and is among only 37 organizations worldwide to receive the honor.
BRIAN WALKER/Press Joe Rigoli, a Kootenai Health pharmacy technician, tends to the "Med Carousel" where medications are stored and organized.
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
COEUR d'ALENE — It's internally called the Kootenai Health Way — engagement, safety and compassion.
That way has been recognized on an international scale by Gallup, Inc., the research-based company well known for its public opinion polls worldwide.
On Tuesday, Kootenai Health was named a Gallup Great Workplace for 2017. It was one of only 37 organizations around the globe to receive the honor and one of just seven health care-related entities.
"We are honored to be recognized for creating an environment that encourages employees to do their best work every day," said Danny Klocko, Kootenai Health's executive vice president of human resources. "We believe that when employees are connected to, and take pride in, their work, it creates better outcomes for our patients."
The award honors organizations that create an engaged workplace culture by investing time and resources to enhance the workplace experiences of their employees.
Kootenai Health, North Idaho's largest employer with more than 3,000 employees, consists of a 292-bed community-owned hospital with more than 180 Kootenai Clinic physicians across 21 specialties.
Kootenai Health launched the Kootenai Health Way engagement strategy nearly five years ago. All of the employer's organizational initiatives relate back to the three principles.
"Research consistently shows engaged employees produce better outcomes across all industries," said Jon Ness, Kootenai Health’s CEO. "For us, these outcomes are transferred over to our patients who benefit most from having engaged, compassionate health providers."
The award was based on several factors, including customer ratings, profitability, productivity, turnover, safety incidents and absenteeism.
Based on patient satisfaction scores, the percentage who gave Kootenai the highest rating possible increased from 74 to 80 percent over the past four years. During that time, Kootenai Health’s net revenue increased from $323 million to $491 million and turnover decreased 4 percent.
Gallup defines engaged employees as involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace.
"When employees are engaged, they are passionate and creative, and their enthusiasm fuels growth and innovation," a Kootenai Health press release states. "These employees are emotionally connected to their work and deeply invested in their company's future."
Gallup research shows worldwide, just 16 percent of employees are engaged in their jobs. At Kootenai Health, based on employee surveys, 76 percent are engaged.
Klocko said KH department heads are responsible for creating an environment in which employees can be engaged. The organization also includes engagement as a qualification when recruiting new employees.
Kootenai Health regularly finds ways to celebrate employees who are meeting and exceeding expectations, Klocko said. Those include an annual employee awards banquet, the annual Hospital Week, an employee picnic and recognizing workers during Kootenai Health Live and leadership forums who were mentioned in direct letters to administration.
An employee wellness program is also offered.
Klocko and other Kootenai Health representatives will receive the award at a Gallup ceremony in Omaha, Neb., on May 23.
To be considered for the award, organizations must administer an employee engagement survey and receive a qualifying score. Organizations that meet the minimum criteria are then invited to apply by submitting evidence of their commitment to employee-centric performance evidence. A panel of Gallup judges reviews and scores all submissions.
"Leaders of the winning organizations understand that engaging employees drives real business outcomes," Gallup said in a statement.
Klocko said the honor — shared with the likes of the Hyatt Corp., Nationwide Insurance, PNC Bank and Northwest Farm Credit Services — will help with recruiting top-notch employees. That, in turn, will lead to improved patient care.
"Kootenai Health's recruiting team focuses its efforts on filling positions with people who are not only qualified to perform the work, but will also be a good fit for our culture and become an engaged member of the team," Klocko said. "Making good hiring decisions lays a foundation on which the employee, department and organization can all realize success."