HR Department of the Year Award Recpient-

Rich Miller, CEO
Ed Dunn, Chief Human Resources Officer

In 1998, Virtua Health was formed through the merger of two health systems, and became the largest provider of healthcare services in South Jersey. Virtua is a multi-hospital healthcare system that employs more than 7,100 clinical and administrative personnel and has approximately 1,800 medical staff members. It has distinguished itself as one of the first Six Sigma organizations in healthcare and as an early adopter of clinical and digital technologies. It is also recognized for its innovative strategy to partner with nationally renowned organizations – GE Healthcare, Fox Chase Cancer Center and A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children. Virtua Health provides medical and wellness services through inpatient acute-care hospitals, ambulatory surgery services, long-term care, sub-acute rehabilitation, primary care, specialty care, emergency services, home care, fitness, and community education services.

In 2002, Virtua partnered with GE to adopt a performance management process called the Best People Review (BPR) Process. This process is a talent management program that encompasses a 360-degree feedback survey, values review, goals and objectives evaluation and a performance rating comparison. Using a forced-distribution system, all participating managers are placed on a bell-shaped curve into one of four categories – the top 10%, the next highest 10%, the valued 70% and the least effective 10%. This rating helps deploy high performers to those initiatives that drive achievement of the global goals, strategic imperatives and the action plans associated with each. It has also proved highly effective in differentiating talent, creating promotion and stretch assignments for high performers and identifying employees who need additional coaching and/or adjustments to their current role. This process is also an excellent foundation for succession planning and leadership development.

In conjunction with the Best People Review (BPR) process, Virtua has created a team of dedicated internal coaches who have scheduled coaching, leadership development sessions with the management team. Intensive, regular coaching enhances skills and core competencies of Virtua managers and prepares them to accept increased responsibility within the organization. It also provides redirection to managers who are not being effective in their current roles, thereby maximizing talent and resources within the organization. Virtua’s HR team has the aggressive goal of expanding this model to all 7,100 employees by 2008, thereby creating a culture of coaching. In this culture, HR would serve as master coaches and would provide direction and guidance to other coaches within the organization.

The development needs that are identified through this process drive the agenda of our Virtua University. Programs are developed or purchased to address these leadership development needs.

Virtua is unique among its peers because it has managed to grow without losing sight of what is most important – the employees. All too frequently, employee satisfaction and career development are moved to a less prominent position behind items like expense management. Virtua has been able to be highly cost-effective while still providing an outstanding employee experience. We are the largest employer in Southern NJ, and were ranked by Philadelphia Magazine as one of the “Top 3 Best Places to Work in the Delaware Valley."

The HR Department of the Year is a recognition that Virua's HR Department has worked very hard to obtain, and we thank them for their participation in the 2006 Awards Program.

For more information on the 2007 Awards Program, including how to apply or how to become involved in the program, please visit www.hrawards.org. Thank you!