In November 2024, the system reached a three-year agreement with around 5,000 front-line workers represented by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West. The agreement increases pay up to 35% over three years and includes provisions to cut family medical coverage premiums by up to 50% for workers and their families.
“We’ve invested heavily in our people over the last several years,” said Susan Green, executive vice president and CFO of Sharp HealthCare, during a Becker’s CFO+Revenue Cycle podcast.
Ms. Green joined Sharp in 2024 from Burlington, Mass.-based Tufts Medicine. When she started at the system, she was impressed to see that it had no contract labor in clinical units, and attributed that success to a long-standing corporate initiative that focuses on employee engagement and career development.
“Sharp has a lot of longevity in staff,” she said. “For example, my revenue cycle folks are 45 and 35 years, respectively, in their roles. When they get to Sharp, they [don’t want to] leave, so we’ve just got to get them into the organization … the way we treat people is palpable here.”
Ms. Green stressed that while pay is critical, it’s also important to give employees tools to do their jobs effectively, which is why Sharp utilized technologies like Workday and LaborLytics to improve operational efficiency.
In addition to the workforce, Ms. Green said she is focused on long-term growth and sustainability.
The system is preparing to open its eighth facility, the Sharp Grossmont Hospital for Neuroscience, in April. The $58 million facility will focus on stroke and neurological care, while adding 24 inpatient beds, imaging and rehabilitation services.
Over the next five years, Sharp also plans to spend $1.7 billion on campus modernization programs to add capacity and expand services.
“You have to spend money to make money,” she said. “You have to understand what your community needs are and invest accordingly … it’s not the short term stuff, it’s making sure that we are here for the long run, for our communities, because we are the safety net. We take that very seriously.”
