Award-winning workplace: Baptist Health of Northeast Florida named one of Florida’s Best Employers by Forbes Magazine

Baptist Health of Northeast Florida has been named one of Florida’s best employers by Forbes magazine in its “America’s Best Employers by State” list for 2024. This is the fifth consecutive year the Jacksonville-based health system has ranked on the prestigious list.

The annual award celebrates companies from all industries that excel in creating supportive, engaging and rewarding work environments that challenge employees and provide opportunities for professional growth. It also recognizes organizations for their vision and effort to retain top talent in their respective fields.

“This recognition is a reflection of our commitment to put people first,” said Kate McCann, MHRD, senior vice president and chief human resources officer of Baptist Health. “I am so proud of our leadership teams for fostering a culture of engagement, purpose, and belonging that allows team members the opportunity to thrive. At Baptist Health, we know that our diverse team of talented caregivers is what makes our patient care exceptional.”

Baptist Health helps team members feel connected and thrive personally and professionally through various initiatives, including:

• Healthy For Life: A team member wellness program that provides access to health and wellness coaches, incentives encouraging adopting or maintaining healthy lifestyle activities, and more.
• Employee Resource Groups: Promoting diversity and inclusion, our team members lead 11 employee resource groups committed to team member connection and engagement.
• Professional Development Opportunities: Educational programs to help team members develop their skill sets to ensure Jacksonville has a versatile, skilled workforce suited to today’s needs as well as tomorrow’s. Programs include a Certified Nursing Assistant course for non-clinical employees to begin a clinical career path; the ExCEL Clinical Ladder Program, which empowers direct care team members to pursue opportunities for advancement while enhancing the quality of patient care and outcomes; and many more.
• Learning Education and Assistance Program: A professional development reimbursement program that supports higher education and professional certification.
• Volunteering: Team members willing to share their time, skills and compassion are connected to a range of volunteer opportunities within the community, including the Tipping the Scale mentoring and advocacy program that pairs employees with high school students from some of the area’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.

The organization’s commitment to prioritizing team member health, happiness and well-being resulted in Baptist Health being named a Blue Zones “approved worksite” earlier this year. Baptist Health is the first health system and largest employer in Northeast Florida to receive the designation from the global organization focused on wellness and longevity.

“Improving health and well-being is at the heart of everything we do,” said Michael A. Mayo, DHA, FACHE, president and CEO of Baptist Health. “As the only mission-driven, community-focused, locally governed health system in our region, we consider our 14,000+ team members to be ‘our first community.’ By helping our people thrive, we in turn help our community flourish. We are proud to be a driving force in creating a brighter future for all.”

The rankings in Forbes magazine are based on a survey of more than 160,000 employees working for companies with at least 500 people within the U.S. Those who participated in the anonymous survey were asked how likely they were to recommend their employer on a scale of zero to 10. Respondents were also asked to evaluate employers they had worked for within the past two years, and organizations they knew within their industry or through friends or family who worked there. Responses were then tallied and incorporated into a scoring system, along with survey data from the past three years. The final list ranked 1,294 employers who received the greatest number of recommendations in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista, Inc. to compile the list.