Hospital Corporation of America Named to Computerworld’s Annual List of Best Places to Work in Information Technology

June 16, 2009 – Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the parent company of Redmond Regional Medical Center and Polk Medical Center announced that it has been selected as one of Computerworld’s top workplaces for information technology professionals. HCA is ranked No. 56 on the publication’s top 100 list.

HCA, which is also listed among Fortune’s “Most Admired” healthcare companies, has 163 hospitals and 104 freestanding surgery centers in 20 states and England. Its Information Technology & Services department (IT&S) employs more than 3,000 employees across the U.S. and includes five data centers and fourteen division support centers responsible for delivering IT services to HCA as well as more than 145 non-HCA hospitals and facilities. This includes the full array of IT services, including business analysis, systems development, integration, information security, customer support, education services, technology infrastructure support and services. HCA IT&S provides the opportunity for IT professionals to work on many advanced technology projects.

“As an Associate of Redmond Regional, Polk Medical and HCA, I take great pride in knowing I work for a company dedicated to providing top quality IT solutions for patient care.” Says Redmond and Polk IT&S Director Brad Treglown, “The IT&S team we have assembled here at Redmond are a dedicated group of nine professionals, totaling more than 111 years of continuous service to HCA. The longevity of the staff is just one more indicator of a superior workplace.”

HCA was founded in Nashville, Tenn. more than 40 years ago when Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr., his father Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr., local businessman Henry Hooker and entrepreneur Jack Massey set out to provide communities with better quality healthcare. Today, HCA is a leading provider of healthcare services, and its more than 180,000 employees served approximately 18 million patients in 2008. The company has developed industry-leading patient safety initiatives to prevent healthcare-associated infections like MRSA and bar-code systems to help improve medication safety.

HCA offers employees an array of benefits and rewards, including a variety of medical plans, healthcare and daycare flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan with 100% match, flexible work schedule and personal health assessments and wellness programs. In addition, HCA’s corporate office has an on-site pharmacy, clinic and exercise facilities. The company also has several unique programs for its employees that are an extension of HCA’s mission to care for and improve human life.

The HCA Hope Fund
After the devastation caused by the 2004 hurricanes in Florida, where HCA has nearly 40 hospitals, the company was overwhelmed by offers from HCA employees who wanted to help their co-workers affected by the storms. In response, the company established the HCA Hope Fund, an employee-run, employee-supported 501(c)3 charity that provides financial relief to thousands of HCA employees every year. Since its launch in 2005, the HCA Hope Fund has provided $9.3 million in aid to approximately 8,600 HCA families who have been affected by hardships, including disasters, extended illness/injury and other special situations. HCA employees’ generous gifts have helped rebuild homes, pay mortgages and put food on the table.

Build a Hospital - Build a Home
In 2001, HCA introduced its Build a Hospital - Build a Home partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Build a Hospital - Build a Home provides a home in communities where HCA is investing in a significant capital improvement project at a hospital and where there is a demonstrated housing need in the community. It also provides team-building and community involvement opportunities for HCA employees who volunteer their time to work on the homes. Since starting the program, HCA has sponsored 36 Habitat for Humanity homes. In 2008, more than 50 HCA volunteers from around the country participated in the International Habitat for Humanity Build in New Orleans. 

Caring for the Community Hours
HCA provides Caring for the Community Hours as a benefit for corporate office employees to encourage volunteerism during work hours. This includes 16 hours of paid community support time for full-time employees and eight paid hours for part-time employees. In addition, employees may take work time for planning and executing corporate projects, such as HCA’s Employee Giving Campaign, Junior Achievement and Habitat for Humanity.

Since 1994, Computerworld’s annual “Best Places to Work in IT” feature has ranked the top 100 work environments for technology professionals, based on a comprehensive questionnaire regarding company offerings in categories such as benefits, diversity, career development, training and retention. In addition, this year Computerworld surveyed more than 27,000 IT workers for the list, and their responses factored heavily in determining the rankings.