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King's Daughters Medical Center

Company: King's Daughters Medical Center
Company Division/Group: Human Resources
Company Description: King's Daughters Medical Center began in 1898 above a small, community drug store. Since then KDMC has grown to become a 388 bed, not-for-profit community hospital serving eastern Kentucky, southern Ohio, and western West Virginia. Under the leadership of President and CEO Fred Jackson, KDMC employs 3,200+ team members and is the area's largest employer.
Nomination Category: Team Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Human Resources Team

Nomination Title: KDMC Human Resources Team

   1. Tell the story about what this nominated team achieved in the past year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

The HR Team coordinates programs that support a Team culture with reward programs and celebrations that equal over $500 per Team Member.  KDMC is a customer-driven organization where all Team Members go by first name with no titles on name badges.  The Team’s unique approach to service accounts for the 96.5% retention rate, one of the best in the nation for healthcare. 

KDMC’s Human Resources Team’s most innovative approaches include:

A “Tacklebox” recognition program provides supervisors with gift certificates and awards for immediate recognition of team members who exceed customer expectations. 

The KDMC Team Member Discount Guide provides Team Members a powerful discount advantage with over 150 local businesses.

Team Member Talent Show with prizes totaling over $1,000. KDMC President and CEO regularly hosts lunchtime feedback sessions called “Food for Thought”, with randomly selected Team Members.

An HR  “Traveling Office” makes regular visits to the 16 off-campus offices to ensure everyone is a part of Team KDMC.  We also include a regular rotation to serve midnight shift Team Members.

Team Member referral awards in lieu of sign-on bonuses provide up to $5,000 to a Team Member for successfully recruiting a professional for a targeted position.  The award winner gets a surprise visit from the CEO and leadership team with the “big check!”

KDMC’s computer purchase plan allows Team Members to purchase a computer system and repay through payroll deduction over 18 months interest free.  Since the program’s inception 5 years ago, Team Members have ordered over 1,300 computer systems totaling $2.2 million.

KDMC supports military reservists by making up the difference between active military pay and the Team Member’s base pay.

The HR Team hosts The Annual Family Fun Day, for over 4,000 guests for a free, exclusive celebration at an area theme park with lunch and prizes for Team Members and family.

Two day NCAA March Madness celebration rewards Team members with concessions and giveaways while watching games on a 15’ screen.

As part of a new Family Friendly Initiatives program, Team Members who become new parents receive a gift basket loaded with useful and meaningful items valued at over $130 and a complimentary take-home meal from an area restaurant.    

KDMC offers “Stork Parking”, a valet parking service for Team Members in their third trimester of pregnancy. 

The on-site Child Development Center allows parents (and grandparents) the flexibility of childcare, and offers “Parents’ Night Out” babysitting.

The adoption assistance plan reimburses up to $6,500 and a free subscription to Adoptive Families magazine.  $2,000 reimbursement is offered for in vitro fertilization expenses.  

For the past five years, KDMC has been a finalist in the Best Places to Work competition by Fortune magazine.  In 2003, 2004 and 2005, KDMC was recognized by Working Mother magazine as a top 100 employer for working mothers for efforts to balance work and personal time. 

KDMC has been named a 100 Top Hospital® by Solucient for two consecutive years, which objectively identifies the highest performing hospitals in the nation -- reflecting KDMC’s successful organizational inter-relationships.

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

 Solicient 100 Top Hospitals®  http://www.kdmc.com/news/pagecontent.asp
?content=treleasecopy&pk=pkreleaseid&table=tblreleases&id=96

Benefits at KDMC  http://www.kdmc.com/careers/page_content.asp?pkid=17

Valet Team offers unique service to customers
http://www.kdmc.com/news/pagecontent.asp?content=treleasecopy&pk=p
kreleaseid&table=tblreleases&id=88

100 Top Hospitals®  http://www.100tophospitals.com/

Working Mother Magazine 100 Best  http://www.workingmother.com/kings.html

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated team:

Larry Higgins, Vice President, Learning, Human Resources and Support Services

Larry Higgins serves as Vice President of Learning and Organizational Development, Human Resources, and Support Services at King’s Daughters Medical Center.  A native of Sandusky, Ohio, he holds a master’s degree in Organizational Development from Bowling Green State University.

Larry’s leadership philosophy revolves around building an organizational team that promotes respect, loyalty and empowerment.  He is convinced that the cultural transformation to Team KDMC is what is moving a very good organization to a great organization.  Larry leads by example- he has exceedingly high standards, yet shows courtesy and respect to everyone he encounters on a daily basis.