A job fair will be held from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, on the fifth floor of Atrium Medeical Center's Professional Building, 200 Medical Center Drive in Middletown. Prospective employees will meet with hiring managers and learn more about different job opportunities available at the hospital. Job openings are listed at www.premierhealth.com/careers.
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Premier Health, the largest health system in Southwest Ohio, employs nearly 17,000 people, including approximately 13,910 full-time, part-time and on-call staff members and 2,890 physicians on staff
We asked several questions about the hiring effort. Here’s what Dorothy Perry, the hospital’s director of human resources, had to say:
Q: Some job seekers are concerned about the limits of advancement within a company. To what degree can employees advance from entry-level roles to become team leaders and department managers?
A: “Examples of employees advancing within Premier Health are plentiful, including many of our executives. Atrium’s chief nursing officer/chief operating officer started her career as a patient care technician. Atrium’s president and CEO is an emergency physician by training, highlighting the opportunities for medical staff to enter into executive leadership roles. With workforce development opportunities in place in many departments across the hospital — including nursing, pharmacy, lab and Imaging — you will find managers, department directors and other leaders who started in entry-level roles. This speaks to the commitment Premier Health places on employee development. Premier Health also offers tuition assistance and continued training through the Premier Health Learning Institute.”
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Q. Atrium is now hiring high school students 16 and older in some positions. What’s the reasoning behind that move?
A: "For years Atrium has worked with area high schools to provide career experience as students job shadow Atrium staff during the school year. By offering jobs to high school students, we can help them figure out a path for their future and fill a workforce shortage. High school students as young as 16 years old can work in nutrition services, environmental services and linen services, or have the opportunity to train to become a patient care technician. Most students consider healthcare careers in the clinical sense of doctors and nurses, but there are so many other opportunities that they can be exposed to once they are working within the organization. By joining Premier Health in one of these positions, they can learn much more about jobs at every level of healthcare and be mentored by some of the area's best professionals. Students who are interested in learning more should visit www.premierhealth.com/highschooljobs."
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Q: What’s the reason behind this hiring push? An expansion of the facility and/or services? Employees retiring or moving onto other positions elsewhere? Other?
A: It is a combination of all of these things, including that we are always looking for qualified candidates who meet our behavioral standards of respect, integrity, compassion and excellence and who are committed to our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge facing Atrium Medical Center and others in the health care industry and how is it uniquely positioned to address that challenge?
Atrium is continuing to keep a focus on professional development as healthcare changes at a rapid pace. Atrium’s quality of care is nationally recognized as outstanding, and that speaks to the emphasis we place on not being complacent – whether that’s with hospital equipment and services, or continued training for employees. That emphasis can be seen across Premier Health, which this year earned system Magnet Recognition – the nursing profession’s highest honor – for patient care. Also, Atrium is a recipient of the Healthgrades America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award for five years in a row, the Critical Care Excellence Award for six years in a row, and the Patient Safety Excellence Award for four years in a row.
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Q: What’s the most prevalent roadblock you’ve encountered when it comes to hiring and what can job seekers do to remedy that situation?
A: “The application process is exclusively online for most companies, and that can leave many job seekers confused or discouraged. We always encourage those completing online applications to fill out every field, call if you have questions about an item, and apply for every open position that matches your skills. The prevalence of the online application process is also one reason we encourage those interested in working at Atrium to attend the March 6 job fair. Prospective employees will have the chance to meet one-on-one with hiring managers and also learn more about different job opportunities available at the hospital.”
Q: What’s the vision for Atrium Medical Center’s growth, both jobs and otherwise, for the next five years?
A: “Premier Health is at the forefront of medicine, utilizing the latest devices and learnings to provide even higher quality care. They range from our pioneering CareFlight air transport service to our expanding telemedicine video consultation services. As we evolve to bring the latest in healthcare to the communities we serve, we want people who will seize opportunities to grow in their jobs and recognize that what they do is more than a job. It’s an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of others. Atrium’s role in the community extends far beyond operating a hospital, outpatient surgery center and facilities for urgent, primary and extended care. We generously support our communities through philanthropy.”
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