The Wright Stuff: Your feedback helps us improve

A message to the WVU Medicine-WVU Hospitals Family

Think of our engagement surveys as an opportunity.

It’s an opportunity for you to voice your opinions on how we can make WVU Medicine not only a better workplace, but a stronger organization and more effective resource for patients from around the region.

The engagement surveys kicked off today (Aug. 8) and will be available through Tuesday, Sept. 6. Complete details, including links to both the employee and faculty surveys, are posted on CONNECT.

Last summer, the response was significant – 91 percent of WVU Medicine employees and 87 percent of WVU School of Medicine clinical faculty shared their opinions about working here. Your feedback helped us identify things we do well and areas of opportunity.

Here are some of the concerns raised on last year’s employee engagement survey and the steps we’re taking to address them:

• Parking – Obviously, parking has been one of our biggest issues – one that we examine and discuss on a daily basis. It’s not an easy issue to fix, but, trust me, we’re trying. We recently purchased a new, larger off-site parking lot at WVU Research Park, which takes the place of an unpaved lot we had leased. To reduce congestion, all new employees who are working on campus are now required to park off-site, and we have expanded the shuttle service hours to accommodate the increased demand. In addition, we’re working on a master plan involving WVU Medicine, WVU Health Sciences, and WVU Athletics that could significantly alleviate some of these issues in the future.
• Food Service – We’re focused on providing more, healthier options. In 2017, we plan to undertake a multi-million dollar renovation of the Ruby Memorial Hospital cafeteria. And, currently, the former HSC cafeteria is being transformed into a beautiful new food court that will open this fall; in the meantime, the outdoor food trucks and vendors have been a big hit. We recently initiated a food delivery service to the WVU Medicine Operations Support Center (ROC 2) with plans to expand.
• More Team Members – We know you’re working harder than ever before, caring for more patients and more complex cases. Our census tells us that. And we know we need more faculty and staff to support our growth. So far this year, we’ve hired more than 1,000 employees and close to 100 faculty members. Those numbers will continue to climb.
• Pay and Professional Development – I’m happy to report that our pay rates continue to be competitive with similar institutions, and we are constantly monitoring the market to keep our wages and benefits fair. As an organization, we heartily encourage and support professional development. The limit on the number of employees approved for the Tuition Reimbursement Program has ended, and benefit-eligible employees who meet the requirements can receive up to $4,000 a year in tuition reimbursement.

Your participation in this year’s engagement surveys can help us continue to create a positive work environment for faculty and staff. Please take the time to let your voice be heard.

Photo caption (top, left): Doug Nonemaker, of the Center for Education and Organizational Development, leads a group of employees during New Employee Orientation.

Photo caption (bottom, right): Stephanie Juristy (left), of Nutrition Services, delivers lunch to Lana Bunner and other employees at the WVU Medicine Operations Support Center, as part of a new food delivery service.