MemorialCare Health System Among 36 Employers Honored Worldwide with Gallup Great Workplace Award

Award Based on Most Rigorous Workplace Research Ever Conducted: 7.2 million respondents from 919,000 work teams in 175 countries

Four-Time Recipient MemorialCare Only Corporation in California Honored

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MemorialCare Health System

Mar 25, 2014, 12:30 ET

ORANGE and LOS ANGELES Counties, Calif., March 25, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the fourth consecutive year, MemorialCare Health System (memorialcare.org) has been named by the Gallup organization as among the most engaged workplaces in the world. The award—based on the most rigorous workplace research ever conducted—is being presented this year to 36 companies that demonstrate an extraordinary ability to create an engaged workplace. MemorialCare is the only California-based employer recognized by the Gallup organization.

"Every one of our more than 11,000 outstanding employees, 2,600 affiliated physicians and countless volunteers contributed to this enormous achievement," says Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D., president & CEO of the not-for-profit MemorialCare Health System, a pioneer and innovator in evidence-based medicine. "Because of their commitment, focus and dedication to continuous improvement and creating a great workplace, we're able to offer our communities exceptional, high quality care."

The award honors organizations whose employee engagement results demonstrate they have the most productive and engaged workforces in the world. Award winners span the globe, representing businesses from health care to hospitality, retail to manufacturing, and banks to insurance. They average a ratio of 9 engaged employees to 1 actively disengaged employee, which is more than five times the ratio in the U.S. and more than 16 times the ratio for workforces globally.

Gallup research shows that globally just 13% of employees are engaged and emotionally invested in their jobs and focused on creating value for their organizations every day. The remaining 87% are classified as either not engaged, indifferent or actively disengaged, demonstrating that truly engaged workplaces like MemorialCare Health System are rare.

Gallup Workplace Award recognizes companies with an extraordinary ability to create an engaged workplace culture. Companies are judged on multiple criteria, including response rates, overall engagement levels and evidence of engagement impact on performance. Applicants' results are compared across Gallup's renowned workplace research database composed of 7.2 million respondent and 919,000 work teams in 175 countries worldwide and 59 languages. Those organizations whose results exceed strict criteria are invited to submit a portfolio of their strategic plans and best practices. A panel of workplace experts evaluates and selects the winners.

According to the Gallup organization, leaders of these organizations understand that employee engagement drives real business outcomes and have mastered how to engage their workforces. Each award recipient has linked engagement to business outcomes and integrated engagement into four key areas: Strategy and Leadership, Accountability and Performance, Communication and Knowledge Management, and Development and Ongoing Learning.

MemorialCare Health System's more than 200 care sites include six top hospitals—Long Beach Memorial, Community Hospital Long Beach, Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills and San Clemente; MemorialCare Medical Foundation physician organizations—MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians; Seaside Health Plan, and countless ambulatory surgery, imaging and outpatient facilities. MemorialCare Health System joins Gallup Great Workplace recipients that include Hyatt Hotels, Mars, Nationwide Insurance, Cleveland Clinic and Wells Fargo.

MemorialCare is among only nine employers and four health care systems on the 2014 list of honorees that have been recognized at least four times by the Gallup Organization.

"These award-winning organizations set a new standard for workplace excellence," says Dr. James Harter, Gallup's chief scientist. "They have proven track records for improving lives along with performance."

SOURCE MemorialCare Health System