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HUMAN RESOURCES
Mutual respect, accountability, trust, and excellence are possible in a supportive and flexible work environment.
In the mid 1980s, after receiving countless requests from employees needing child care support, Intermountain Health Care (IHC), Salt Lake City, a system of health care facilities, began to study the issue at several of the system's locations. During the past decade, IHC has become increasingly involved in sponsoring and supporting child care services for employees. During its investigation, IHC discovered that health care issues surrounding employees' child care needs included coverage for extended and night work shifts, limits and shortage of community-based child care, and lack of infant care options. The system needed to address these issues because of the nursing shortage and other critical recruitment needs. According to a former IHC president, the evaluation led to this conclusion:
If it means better productivity, higher employee morale, and stronger families, then it's an investment worth making. Once we assessed our employee[s'] critical need for daycare, our decision was easy.1
The system's first child care center opened in 1985. The system now operates five on- or nearsite child development centers.
WHY OFFER HOSPITAL-BASED CHILD CARE SERVICES?
A number of hospital systems, including IHC, have chosen to offer some type of child care service or benefit to support employees. These services normally include some or all of the following:
infant care;
care and education for children ages two to five years old;
after school programs for school-age children;
kindergarten programs;
extended hours;
weekend care;
care for sick children;
child care for community members and hospital employees;
back-up or drop-in child care;
resources and referrals;
work-life programs and services (eg, long-term care insurance for employees, spouses, parents, grandparents, and inlaws; prenatal education for parenting; elder care services; employee assistance program; child care discounts; part-time work; job sharing; telecommuting; tuition reimbursement); and
child care for children of patients.
WHY IHC OFFERS CHILD CARE SERVICES
According to the vice president of human resources, the organization's
ability to deliver the highest quality health services is directly related to the performance and commitment of our employees-each must function at his or her highest potential, innovate new ways of working together to improve service, and thrive in an environment of constant change....